Rulers of the Galaxy
by I'msorrymylove
Summary: Peter and Ariel Quill, twins, were separated. Ariel went to the Dark Aster, and like her brother she grew up. Now, they are adults who do not know the other is alive, until they run into each other once more. Caught in a much bigger plot, the two will have to fight on opposing sides to protect what they care about. Ronan/OC. First of the Orbs Collection.
1. Prologue

**Hello and welcome to Rulers of the Galaxy! My name is I'msorrymylove and this my first Guardians of the Galaxy fanfic. I have written stories for other fandoms such as Doctor Who, Deadpool, and Gravity Falls, so if you're readers from any of those stories then hello again!**

 **For any new readers I am a person who is, for the majority of the year, in school and therefore can't write often, so I have chosen to pre-write all my stories before I publish them so I do not leave my readers hanging, which I prefer much better to trying to write a chapter throughout a week.**

 **This story will be updated every week on Friday afternoon until it is concluded.**

 **And, as you can see, this is a Ronan/OC story. I really liked the character in the first film and I felt like there was a lot to explore with him so here we are. I know it seems like an odd idea considering he's rather genocidal in the film, but I promise that it works. My OC, Galaxy (Ariel Quill) is pictured to look something like Klaire De Lys.**

 **I will have an author's note at the bottom with my thoughts on the chapter.**

 **I do not own Guardians of the Galaxy, they belong to Marvel.**

* * *

 **Earth, 1988**

Peter and Ariel Quill, twins at birth, sat next to each other in the waiting room of a hospital, an action they had done many, many times before. For the past months, the two had watched as their mother, Meredith Quill, succumb to brain cancer. The woman who had had brown hair like her daughter and the same eyes as her son seemed to vanish before the eyes of everyone who knew her, replaced by a shell of her former personality; her hair was gone and her eyes had grown tired and painful.

The two were old enough to understand what was happening. Their mother was dying and would be dead very soon. That didn't stop Ariel from hoping their mother would recover or Peter from fighting anyone would disagreed with Ariel's hope...or from fighting anyone who just upset him; Peter was fighting a lot lately. Just that afternoon Ariel had had to get a teacher because Peter had been hit soundly on his eye. His reason for fighting: some older boys had killed a frog while laughing as it tried to get away.

Ariel looked down at her legs, which were still too short to touch the ground. She swung them, looking over at Peter. It was his turn to use the Walkman to listen to their 'Awesome Mixtape, a cassette tape made by their mother. It was filled with songs her mother had loved and had wanted them to hear, but since it was Peter's turn, Ariel was forced to endure the noises of the hospital. She hated them! She hated everything about the hospital, really. The way people whispered, the stale smell, the quiet footsteps…it was suffocating.

Most of all, she hated knowing that her mother was in the room nearby and was being hidden from them.

She looked up, hearing the sound of heavy footsteps. Her grandpa, the man who had been taking care of them ever since their mother got so sick, came hurrying towards him. She tapped Peter on the shoulder, making him frown and pull off the headphones.

"Peter, Ariel, your mama wants to speak to you two." Ariel nodded wordlessly and got off the chair. She looked over at her brother to see him staring at their grandpa.

"Come on Peter," Ariel said in a soft voice. Even though he was technically the older child, Ariel had found herself taking on a more mature role. A role that even Peter accepted, which he showed by getting to his feet.

The two were walked into their mother's room by Grandpa, his hand on their backs in an attempt to comfort them. Their mother looked up at them and seemed to smile, but she soon frowned at Peter's eye. "Why have you been fighting with the other boys again, baby?" When Peter gave no answer to the question besides a shrug, their mother prompted with a gentle, "Peter?"

Peter frowned. "They killed a little frog that ain't done nothin'. Smushed it with a stick," he admitted in a soft voice.

Their mother smiled. "You're so like your daddy, you even look like him," she remarked breathlessly. She looked over at Ariel and added, "You're so much like your daddy too, doll. You make the same faces." She seemed to almost fall back into the bed. "And he was an angel, composed of pure light..." her eyes slid closed.

Grandpa leaned forwards, prompting their mother to open her eyes, though the action was slow and weak. "Mer? You got a present for Peter and Ariel, don't you?"

Their mother seemed to attempt to nod. "Of course. There." She lightly touched, brushed really, two gifts with two cards attached to them. Wordlessly, Grandpa took the gifts and placed it into Peter's and Ariel's backpacks.

"I've got you covered," he said in a soft voice.

Their mother smiled. "You open it up when I'm gone, okay?" she instructed. Peter and Ariel both looked down at that, unable to meet their mother's eyes and unwilling to let her see them start to cry. "Your grandpa is gonna take such good care of the both of you. At least until your daddy comes back to get you two."

She took a sudden raspy breath and looked over at Grandpa for a brief moment. Then she turned her head back to Peter and Ariel and held out both her hands. "Take my hands," she said – asked, really.

Ariel took one of them gently, knowing something very bad was going to happen. She looked over at her mother's face to see her frowning at Peter. "Peter," their mother prompted.

Ariel frowned as well. "Peter, please," she said in a soft voice.

"Take my hand," their mother repeated.

But Peter never did – at least not until her heart stopped. As the heart monitor, which had been beeping slowly, turned into a long beep, Peter asked softly, "Mom?" When no response came, he grabbed at her hand, clutching it and screaming, "No!" over and over again.

Ariel backed up, unable to stop looking at her brother and her mother but wanting to desperately look away. She could only watch mutely as Grandpa grabbed Peter and carried him outside. He seemed to want to help her out as well, but Ariel walked behind him.

Placing Peter down, he beckoned Ariel over and looked them both straight in the eye. "You've got to stay here. Please," he ordered.

"No," Peter whimpered while Ariel just nodded.

Hearing the doctors run into the room, Grandpa turned away. The minute he had left them, Peter ran away. Not sure what to do, Ariel ran after her brother, kneeling down next to him in the field outside the hospital as he wept.

"No," Peter repeated, leaning into Ariel's arm around him.

A bright light like a spotlight appeared above them, making the two looked up in alarm and increasing fear. A spaceship was hovering above them.

As if on strings, the two were suddenly jerked into the air. Peter desperately hung onto Ariel and screamed out the name of the one person who had promised to always, always save them, a name that Ariel echoed as well – "Mom!"

But their mom did not come and instead they were pulled into a spaceship and taken away.

" _Peter and I were separated quickly after. He stayed with Yondu and I…I was sent to someone else."_

* * *

 **So, very short chapter, I know. I promise the rest aren't like that.**

 **As you can see, this chapter, and the rest of the fanfic, is from Ariel's perspective. I feel like since we already saw Peter's story in the movie we should see her story in this.**

 **I actually really felt for the twins in this. I've had a lot of family members get sick and I've been to a lot of hospitals and they're pretty horrible to be in long term. There's this smell and everyone talks really quietly and just...ugh! I hate hospitals. I feel like they would both feel trapped in the hospital; Peter would probably go completely bonkers and try to race stuff. Plus the whole thing of seeing their mother dying would just be even worse.**

 **During their mother's death, I feel like Peter is a lot more emotional while Ariel is just kind of mute out of shock. It kind of shows a huge difference in them - Peter is very reactive while Ariel mulls things over for a long time.**

 **Otherwise, I don't really have much to say about the rest of the chapter. I hope you liked it and I will see everyone next Friday!**


	2. Chapter 1

Galaxy, once known as Ariel Quill, had grown in the twenty-odd years since she had her brother had been taken by the Ravager Yondu. Her hair had turned darker, making it an almost mahogany brown. She had grown taller; now she was easily the same height that her mother had been. She had also changed during the time period as well. She once had worn pinks and greens and other soft colors, but now she stood in a black long sleeve shirt and a pair of dark jeans. The only thing that hadn't changed was her eyes. Throughout everything she had seen, her eyes, a dark brown, had remained the same. She was more than grateful for that. They were the only things that reminded her of her life before she and Peter had been kidnapped, before her mother had died.

She stood in the throne room of the Dark Aster, the ship that she had been on since she was ten and Ronan's father had bought her from a drunk Yondu. She had been dragged, kicking and screaming until her face hurt, onto the ship as her brother fought in a similar way. She had watched from the window as Yondu's ship got smaller and smaller, until, finally, it was a speck...and then nothing. The separation had been painful, and had continued ever since.

She had hated everyone single person on the ship for taking her from the one family she had left, everyone except for Ronan, who was the same age as her. He became her one friend, just as she became his. It was only natural that, when Ronan's father was killed by Xandarians, she stood by Ronan, even if his actions made her uncomfortable. As his actions got worse, Galaxy had found herself stuck in how to stop her friend. He was angry, and perhaps justifiably, but the killing he was doing was horrible. It took Ronan putting an entire family to death because the _child,_ a mere child, had yelled at him to leave. She raged at him, her suddenly there to protest his actions. She had gone on for hours, not backing down when threatened to have _her_ killed. It wasn't until she pointed out that he was becoming exactly like his father – he had even made a trade for Nebula and Gamora, two of Thanos' daughters as his father had wanted to do for years– did Ronan finally fall and admit that he knew what he was doing was wrong, that he wanted to stop, he didn't know how, and he wanted _help._

Galaxy's response had been simple, "I'll help."

And she had. Ever since that night, Ronan had receded, had stopped his killings and had stopped sending Nebula and Gamora out for assassinations. They stayed, on their ship, in their tiny corner of the universe, cut off from the rest of the galaxy. When they did receive news, as rare as that was, it was months old at best.

In Galaxy's opinion, Ronan had made strives to become better. Strives that proved he was still the boy she had become friends with oh so long ago. That proof had opened her heart to his when Ronan started to make romantic advances. When he kissed her for the first time, she returned it. She could still remember the smile that had grown on his face after the kiss.

It was the same smile he was wearing now as he walked into the throne room. Clad in his ceremonial robes, Galaxy felt a flash of relief at the lack of his warhammer. While they had talked at great lengths for what they should with their current situation, she knew there was always a chance he would override her want.

"Hello Galaxy," he greeted after giving her a chaste kiss.

"Hello Ronan," Galaxy replied, smiling at him.

Her smile grew as Ronan took her hand and walked with her up to the throne. He took a seat while Galaxy stood next to him. It was an honor for her to stand next to him when he sat in his throne, an honor usually bestowed when someone was married, but they were no where to near to a marriage, especially one of Kree nature which was passionate and physical. Galaxy truly did not know _what_ place their relationship was at. She supposed, had they been on Earth, they would only just have gone on a couple of dates, maybe even less. They had only started romantic involvement about three months ago, the day Ronan had found out Kree had brokered an agreement with Xandar.

He had been so angry, like so many of his people, and had wanted to storm to their home planet and join in on the protests. But Galaxy had calmed him by placing her hand on his arm. He had looked over at her and, as he later described it, had a sudden urge to kiss her. So he did. It was not, in any sense, the most romantic first kiss, but it had been _their_ first kiss, and that made it all the better.

She looked over at him carefully, taking in the lines of worry on his face. Today, the one prisoner, a Xandarian, was going to be called in front of Ronan to be given his judgment. The man, so angered by the loss of his people by Ronan, had sought revenge. by boarding the Dark Aster ship an attempt to kill them, only to quickly be captured. They had been holding him for multiple days because Ronan had not been able to figure out what to do with the man.

On one hand, the man had come with the intent to kill when they had been peaceful, but on the other hand, he was angry and grief stricken because of actions _Ronan_ had committed. He had asked Galaxy first, and then he went Nebula and Gamora, wanting to prove that he was better than his father and that he cared about their opinion, that he saw them as people and not just tools to use. They had both agreed with Galaxy's opinion – the man had to be let go. To kill him, while maybe justified, would risk Xandar attacking them.

"They still call me 'terrorist,' 'radical,' 'zealot,' because I obeyed the ancient laws of my people, the Kree, and punish those who did not," Ronan murmured to Galaxy.

She nodded slowly, "You made them terrified."

"I did not forgive Xandarians for taking the life of my father, and his father, and his father before him," Ronan admitted. "A mistake that I will _not_ make again." He turned to one of the guards and motioned at him, sending him to receive the prisoner.

It only took a few moments until everyone in the throne room, including Gamora and Nebula, to hear the prisoner protesting against the guard dragging him to the room. The doors opened and all turned to look at the prisoner, a Xandarian that was quaking in fear as he was brought towards Ronan, who was, Galaxy would admit, a terrifying individual on his throne. The traditional Kree robes, dark and sinister looking, did not help.

"You can't do this! Our government signed a peace treaty," the man squeaked in protest.

Ronan stiffened at the accusation. If the man had bothered to read the peace treaty he would know that he _did_ have every right to kill the man, but Ronan was not foolish. The treaty had been signed in a way that would make any rightful reaction to violence a pox on the Kree and another step towards restarting the war that had plagued generations and generations. He would _not_ be the cause for the war to restart.

"Though it is my right in both Kree and Xandar cultures to kill those who come in an intent to harm – which is still upheld in the peace treaty – I will be merciful." He stood and walked down the steps until he was just one above the man. "You're survival is a gift and warning. Should any come back to my part of the galaxy, where I rule, I will not be merciful."

The Xandarian just stared mutely, his head bobbing like a bobble – head. He was still when he was lead away by the guards to his ship.

As soon as the man left, Ronan relaxed and looked over at Galaxy. When she gave him a smile, he gave her one of his own. The relief of on his face was clear to everyone. He walked back up to the throne and sat down in it heavily, allowing himself to sit back as Nebula approached him, "Ronan, Korath has returned," she reported in her metallic, robotic voice. Thanos was a cruel, cruel man, a cruelty shown in his actions towards his daughters in ways that had horrified Galaxy when Gamora had given her the briefest of summaries.

"Send him in," Ronan instructed Nebula, watching intently as she walked away.

Galaxy rested her hand lightly on his shoulder, knowing exactly what Ronan was thinking. She knew he regretted using Gamora and Nebula had tools, and she knew he believed his actions towards them made him no better as Thanos. "You're not him," she reminded Ronan.

Ronan did not speak, instead choosing to take her hand from his shoulder and hold it, squeezing it tight in a silent thank you as Korath was brought in. Like Gamora and Nebula, he had been a gift from Thanos and was meant for tasks that he could not do. Korath had been sent out only a few days ago, tasked with delivering an orb that was needed critcally - Thanos was expecting it and he did not give second chances.

But when Korath stood before Ronan, it was clear he did not have the orb in either hand."Explain," he ordered, sending the man a hard look.

"There was someone else there," Korath reported. "A man. He is a thief, an outlaw who calls himself Star-Lord. But we have discovered he has an agreement to retrieve the orb for an intermediary known as The Broker."

But Galaxy had stopped listening long before Korath had finished. As soon as the man had said the words 'Star-lord,' she had gone stiff. That was the name she had not heard since before her mother passed, a name that their mother had given her brother, a name used in a game that a pair of twins played during the waning southern afternoons. Perhaps it was a coincidence. Star-lord, after all, was not an original name by any means. There were likely hundreds of men who had dubbed themselves the same way. Still, she found herself asking to Korath suddenly, "Was he a Ravager?"

Korath looked at her oddly before answering, "He claimed to be a junker, but he wore Ravager clothes."

It took everything Galaxy had to not fall over, and even that was only achieved by gripping Ronan's hand tightly. She knew her behavior was worring him; she could already feel his gaze on her. But that was only secondary to the joy and the shock that she was feeling. Her brother was alive, her brother was okay, her brother still remembered his childhood…her brother still remembered _her._

She was only barely aware of Ronan assigning her to a mission to get the orb along with, after a small debate, between the two sisters, Gamora. It was only when Ronan got up and asked her in a low voice whether or not she was okay did she come back fully to her senses. "I'm fine," she assured. "More than fine," she corrected after a small pause.

Ronan frowned at her as they started to walk down the steps to leave the throne room. "What has made you 'more than fine?'"

"The man Korath was speaking about, Star-lord. I believe he may be my brother," Galaxy explained.

"The brother that was taken by Yondu with you?" Ronan asked, his frown turning thoughtful as he remembered the stories Galaxy had told him late at night as children. "You were very fond of him."

Galaxy nodded. "We were twins and best friends," she said in a distant voice. She stopped walking, turning to face Ronan directly. "If it is him and if I were to run into him on this mission, I cannot lose him again."

Ronan nodded, though he had a frown on his face, "Will you come back?" he asked.

"Yes," Galaxy promised. "Maybe not immediately, but I will come back.

While Ronan stilled frowned, it had lessened considerably. The two walked through the hallways, headed towards Ronan's room. The door closed behind them as she went to her favorite seat, a small chair, and watched as he went to his dresser and pulled something out of his top drawer.

"This," he started, turning to face her, "is a communication device. Should anything go wrong, you just need to tap the big button and I will know exactly where you are."

Galaxy got up from her seat and took the device from him. Its size was small enough that she could easily wear it on her wrist and slip it underneath her jacket. As long as no one looked at it intently, it could easily pass on for a watch.

She traced a finger over the front of it. "What if it gets destroyed?" she asked, feeling the cool glass underneath her fingertip.

"It will send me your location," Ronan said. He raised the hand she was holding the device in and kissed her knuckles gently. "Come back safe," he said in a soft, gentle voice.

Galaxy stepped closer, forcing Ronan to drop her wrist. "I will," she promised. She leaned forwards and kissed him softly on the lips, barely suppressing a smile when he readily kissed back. She was unable to, however, suppress a smile when he pulled her closer, wrapping his arms around her waist. In response, she wrapped her own arms around his neck.

He pulled away, resting his forehead on hers. "You mean quite a bit to me," he admitted.

"And you mean quite a bit to me too," Galaxy responded.

Smiling widely, Ronan pulled her back in for another kiss.

* * *

 **I was originally worried about this chapter because of how hard it is to introduce a new OC and changes to a story at the same time, but this chapter ended up surprising me. I think it turned out really well. Galaxy came very easy and so did Ronan.**

 **I hope you guys liked the changes I made with Ronan. Galaxy really isn't someone who would let anyone get away with stuff, and that includes Ronan. I personally really like their relationship, though. I feel like, since it's so new, they're both still trying to figure out their roles in a romantic relationship and I hope that comes through in the next chapters.**

 **I also hope that the changes make sense and that Ronan still seems, at the very least, close to his original character. There are, obviously, some changes but I hope that they're okay. Please let me know!**

 **And now...review time:**

 **Gailbriel Minuit Noire: I hope you continue to find this story interesting!**


	3. Chapter 2

**Xandar, Capital of the Nova Empire**

Gamora and Galaxy stood on Xandar, both scanning the crowd. Usually, on the rare occasions that Galaxy helped Gamora on an assignment, the green woman would not look at anything unless it related to the assignment; she would not do anything unless it somehow related to the assignment, really. That was why Galaxy was concerned; Gamora's eyes kept flicking away from the crowds beneath them to _her._ After the sixth time, Galaxy asked, "Gamora, do you need to say something?"

Gamora sighed and turned towards Galaxy, not even pretending to look at the crowd; Galaxy did the same, staring intently at the woman as she waited for her to speak as she so clearly wanted to.

"Why are you with Ronan?"

Galaxy blinked at the question. She had expected to be ask about her odd behavior; Gamora was not one to fail to notice abnormal behavior, and she knew she had been acting differently ever since they had boarded the ship to Xandar. She had tried to stop, but it was hard not to be jittery as she got closer to the planet that held her brother. She had tried to calm herself by arguing that it was a possibly that it was Peter, but it was no use. By the time the ship had landed she was doing everything in her power to remain still, going as far as to run her fingers up and down her legs as if she was playing the piano.

Of course, this was not normal behavior for Galaxy; she strove to fade into the background, to not be noticed by the others around her. Surely, Gamora had noticed, but why hadn't she asked?

She looked over at Gamora; the other woman was staring at her intently, and Galaxy couldn't help but blush under her piercing gaze. "Ronan has always been kind to me," Galaxy started, "I've known him since I was ten when his father bought me from Yondu-"

Gamora shook her head, "I know all that," she interrupted smoothly, "I know he's kind to you and I know you were childhood friends but…" her voice trailed off as she glanced around, as if suddenly wary of people listening in. "You've seen everything he's done."

"I have," Galaxy agreed, "But I've also seen the way he strives to fix his past mistakes. He'll never be able to truly fix all he's done, but he's trying. I see it every single day and that means something to me. It proves he's still the boy I grew up with."

Gamora was frowning in thought when Galaxy was done. Knowing there wouldn't be a response from Gamora for a while, the woman was the definition of a silent thinker, Galaxy scanned the crowd once more. Peter would stand out as a person who wasn't yellow or pink, the majority of the skin colors on Xandar; he was also taller than the average Xandarian - there was no way Galaxy would be able to miss him.

But it had also been over ten years since she had seen her twin last, and just like she had changed, Peter would have as well. Without truly meaning to, she thought about her childhood, _their_ childhood. Their mom had always said he looked so much like their father, but Galaxy had always thought he looked more like their mother. He had her hair, her smile, her laugh. The only thing Galaxy had gotten from her mother was her eyes.

Eyes that were widening as they landed on a tall, male figure with sandy brown hair, Ravager red leather, and a smirk on his stupidly familiar face.

"I found him," Galaxy reported.

Their earlier conversation forgotten, Gamora leaned forwards to get a closer look at Peter. "He's taller than I expected," she said in a low voice. "And he wears very distinctive clothing." She turned to Galaxy, "I should be the one to speak to him. He would react well to a woman stroking his ego."

Galaxy swallowed hard, harder than she probably needed to. It was odd to think of her brother as an adult, part of her was still thinking of him as her ten year old brother. Of course Gamora's plan was accurate, Peter had always enjoyed anyone stroking his ego, but at the age of ten he thought that most woman were gross.

"He's fast so if it doesn't work, don't chase him, I'll knock him out from up here," Galaxy suggested in a pained agreement.

"How do you know he's fast?"

Mentally, Galaxy cursed. She hadn't want anyway, save Ronan, to know about her relationship with Peter. It was private and something she needed to work on without everyone's opinions on it. She hadn't meant to slip, but with the ways memories were coming up she could easily remember chasing after Peter, being left in the dust despite running as fast she could; their mother's watchful gaze on them.

"Aren't all Ravagers fast?" Galaxy asked Gamora, "Yondu would only take people who could run fast while being shot at."

The trials were probably the only time the Ravager group was serious. Yondu would stand and shoot at the man running; if he didn't die then he would be allowed to stay; if he died...well he would have died anyways. Better by a Ravager then a foe.

"I will keep that in mind," Gamora muttered, frowning as she eyed Peter once more; he was walking slowly and casually to the Brooker's shop. "I should go down there."

* * *

It only took a few minutes for Gamora to be in place; the green woman was leaning against the wall with one of her legs propped up so she could lean with her foot on the wall. While walking, she had grabbed some sort of drink and was sipping on it slowly, her eyes firmly on Peter, though he was oblivious from what Galaxy could see. That wasn't surprising, at all. Her brother had never been one to notice something unless it was directly in front of him, and even that had never been fully true.

Shaking her head, Galaxy pulled out the small gun she always kept with her since Ronan had given it to her. It had two settings on it, stun and kill. Galaxy turned the dial to stun, staring down at the words. It was ironic, the gun she had gotten on her sixteenth birthday, the same day she had told Ronan about Peter, was going to be used as an aid to capture her brother. An onlooker could describe it as humorous, but Galaxy did not feel like laughing. Instead, she felt wistful; wistful for a life she never had, an uncomplicated life on Earth with her brother and their elderly mother. This was not the first time she had imagined such a life, and as much as it pained her to think on it, she couldn't stop. Normalcy was intoxicating for Galaxy, or at least the dream of it was. Yet when she thought of Ronan, she shook her head in a physical dispelling of the idea. Normalcy would mean losing Ronan, and she wouldn't have that.

Now pulled out of the dream, Galaxy looked down at the Brooker's shop, wincing as she saw Peter forcibly removed. She clucked her tongue; Peter was not one for research and he had probably mentioned Ronan or someone connected to him to the Brooker and the man had decided that Ronan's possible wrath was worse then Peter's or Yondu's. An assessment that Galaxy would have agreed with had she not known that Ronan wouldn't attack the man. Scare him, maybe, but not harm.

She looked over at Gamora; like a predator, the green woman was eyeing Peter as she talked casually, coolly. She had shifted from appearing bored to interested and seductive - the last description made Galaxy fight the urge to gag. What made it worse was that Peter was acting in a similar manner. He had that stupid smirk on his face, the same smirk he had made when he tried to impress a thirteen years old girl at the age of seven. He leaned against the wall, spinning a sphere in his hands as he talked.

Without pausing, Gamora flicked her eyes upwards to catch Galaxy's gaze. It was far too quick for Peter to notice, but Galaxy did. She didn't bother giving a nod in return, knowing Gamora wouldn't dare to look at her again, least Peter noticed. Instead, Galaxy looked down at the gun to check the setting even though she knew it hadn't changed. With no excuse left, she raised her gun and readied her aim. She frowned, more than a bit horrified at the situation. Her thoughts, all wildly trying to pull her attention away, boiled down to one question: _Am I really going to do this?_ She could almost, almost hear her mother's voice, raised in rare anger, when she had found them playing cops and robbers.

" _If you're ever going to raise any sort of gun towards someone, you're telling them that you're okay with killing them."_

She shook her head, as if that could somehow dissolve the growing guilt she felt. Their mother had been so sad at the idea of her children hurting each other, imaginary or not. That night, she had sat them down and repeated the sentence in a calmer voice, taking both their hands to squeeze them as she spoke.

It had also, Galaxy remembered with a wince, the first night she revealed her declining mental state to her children by telling them about their father. " _He would have been so excited to be with you," their mother had said in a soft voice, her eyes closed. She was sitting in between their bedrooms, allowing both twins to listen in. "But he had to go back to the stars – he said he had work to do."_

Even at that young age she had been concerned about her mother's words. She hated that she was right, that her concerns led to tests, which led to diagnosis, chemo, and then her death.

What she hated more was the nagging thought: _What would her mother say if she could see her two children now?_ She closed her eyes, swallowing hard. She knew exactly what her mother would say, and that made her next actions even worse.

"I'm sorry momma," Galaxy whispered opening her eyes and clicking the safety off, her hands steady as she aimed it straight at her brother. Peter and Gamora were still talking, but in a blink – and – you'll – miss – it movement, Gamora grabbed the protective orb and kicked Peter in his stomach, knocking the wind out of him. Peter, for his credit, responded quickly. He grabbed some sort of magnetic rope and threw it at Gamora, tripping her.

Frowning deeply, Galaxy readied herself to shoot…and then someone tapped her on her shoulder.

"What?" she snapped, not moving from her position.

"Groot! You're supposed to knock her out, not tap her on the shoulder!"

That complaint made Galaxy turn around. She had just enough time to open her mouth before the tall, tree-like creature in front of her, with an almost comical frown, hit her in the head. Her vision went black and she fell to the ground, losing consciousness as a bag was placed firmly over her head by the apologetic tree creature.

* * *

 **If anyone was wondering, I posted Galaxy's theme song on my tumblr, ultramasterdoctor. Her theme song is _Dreaming_ by Blondie. **

**This was shorter than I would have liked, honestly. I tried to do a full flashback but that didn't work. I did length some of the sections post-editing though, so I think it reads smoother.**

 **Besides the length, I really love this chapter. I love Galaxy so far and I really connected with the memories of her mom. From the short clips we saw of Meredith, I can't see her wanting her children to fight, even if they're pretending. She always seemed so peace loving to me, that I can see her being horrified at the idea of her children pointing "guns" at each other.**

 **I hope you guys liked the chapter!**


	4. Chapter 3

The Nova Corps were known for their efficiency in their justice department. Even most of the prisoners could agree that, as far as getting arrested and placed in jail for their crimes goes, the Nova Corps were the best. They were swift and, more importantly, they were fair. Those two combinations made Galaxy frown. Those were two promises that no one could live up to fully. _She_ was getting thrown in jail, not for pointing a gun at someone, but for her connection to Ronan. Their only evidence, which they had shown in some sort of pre-trial to agree that she actually belonged in prison, was pictures of her and Ronan or of her and Gamora or of her and Nebula or even a small photo of her and Thanos - when they had shown the last one to the court everyone had gasped and a few started to cry. Her actual trial would take place a few weeks from now and would reveal how long she would stay in prison.

They had been swiftly placed in a line of processed criminals who had to be presented. For a world that claimed to be peaceful, Xandar had quite a few criminals, which allowed Galaxy to blend into the crowd. Their group of herself, Gamora, Peter, the raccoon, and the raccoon's tree creature was to be processed at the end, and Galaxy had no intentions of allowing Peter to see her until she could think of something other than, "I'm sorry for trying to stun you" or "When we get out, I'm going to call my new boyfriend to grab us and you need to come with us."

* * *

By the time the time the last person, Galaxy, had gone through the line, Galaxy had a crick in her neck and her feet were sore. Unlike the others, who had least gotten to sit down, Galaxy had no rest before she was shoved onto a transport ship along with everyone else. The ship, of course, was headed to the Kyln, the high security prison of the Nova Corps.

She nearly cursed when she saw that even on the ship there weren't any seats, just walls that allowed minimal relief for aching feet. Crossing her arms, she leaned against of one walls and ran her fingers over the smooth glass face of the communicator over and over again. She could feel her stress draining from her via the repetitive action and the continuous knowledge Ronan was just a few taps away. She could have contacted him before, the idea of him showing up to a Nova Corps official trial to get her and Gamora was humorous, but she wanted to wait a bit and give herself time to sort out what to do with her brother.

With as rotten as the situation was, the only thing Galaxy could think of was being grateful for was the mass of people that hid her from Peter. Her darker hair and sharper face, two large changes from when she was a child, allowed her to blend in with the men and women around her. Even if Peter did get a direct look at her, he probably wouldn't recognize her as anyone other than the person who had tried to shoot him.

The transport ship stopped with a jerk, sending several prisoners to the ground with strings of curses and groans. The guards paid them no mind, instead choosing to warn the ship that the last one out would face punishment. There was an unfriendly smirk on the guards faces as the fallen prisoners were nearly trampled on as they too tried to scramble to their feet to leave, only to be pushed down by the people streaming out around them.

They were forced into a line and ordered to head down a hallway to where they would receive their standard yellow uniform. The raccoon that had tried to kidnap Galaxy, Peter, and Gamora loudly told the tree-creature that followed him constantly that the best way to tell who people were in the prison was by looking at their pants, which had a sort of bar-code on them that designated their crimes. Galaxy couldn't help but glance at her brother from behind; she had been ten when she last saw her brother and hadn't thought about him leading a life of crime, but she supposed a life with the Ravagers would only lead to crime eventually. But what crimes had he done?

"I guess most of Nova Corps wanna uphold the laws, but these ones here, they're corrupt and cruel. But, hey, that's not my problem. I ain't gonna be here long. I've escaped twenty-two prisons, this one's no different. You're lucky the broads showed up, because otherwise, me and Groot would be collecting that bounty right now, and you'd be getting drawn and quartered by Yondu and those Ravagers," the raccoon informed Peter.

Galaxy watched as Peter stiffened slightly, "Broads?" he asked.

The racoon rolled his eyes, "Broads," he repeated, "Ya know, the green one and the brown-haired one?"

Peter relaxed slightly. He looked over at Gamora and gave her a cocky grin, "I figured you didn't work well with people," he said, "Seeing as you didn't work well with _me."_

Gamora shook her head, "I do not work with honorless thieves," she corrected.

"If you say so," Peter replied lightly. He turned back to the raccoon and shrugged, "I've had a lot of folks try to kill me over the years. I ain't about to be brought down by a tree and a talking raccoon and two women."

"Hold," a guard order, stopping the line in its tracks.

"What's a raccoon?" the raccoon asked.

"'What's a raccoon?'" Peter repeated, "It's what you are, stupid."

They stopped talking briefly as they were pointed down a hallway to, presumably, their uniforms. The raccoon was the one that broke the silence first, "Ain't no thing like me, except me," he stated rather proudly.

Shaking his head, a sentiment that Galaxy agreed with, Peter looked over at Gamora once more, "So, this orb has a real shiny blue suitcase, Ark of the Covenant, Maltese Falcon sort of vibe. What is it?"

"I am Groot," the tree-creature responded, making Galaxy jump at his sudden voice.

"So what?" Getting no reply from the tree-creature, evidently named Groot, he asked Gamora again, "What's the orb?"

"I have no words for an honorless thief," Gamora stated with a sniff.

Peter rolled his eyes. "And what about your friend?" He paused and looked around with a frown, "Where is she by the way?"

Galaxy ducked her head at the question, refusing to even look up at Peter. Until she had better words, her only option was to hide from her brother. She saw Gamora turn around to look at her, but a quick shake of her head was all the message Gamora needed for the green woman to turn around and say to Peter, "She also has no words for an –"

"'Honorless thief,' I got it," Peter finished for her with a shake of his head.

The raccoon sent an annoyed look at Gamora and Galaxy, "Pretty high and mighty coming from the lackeys of a genocidal maniac," he challenged. When Gamora didn't react besides to stiffen, and Galaxy winced at the stares they were suddenly receiving, the raccoon shook his head at them, "Yeah, I know who you two are. Anyone who's anyone knows who the both of you are."

Peter nodded rapidly when the raccoon was done, a movement that made Galaxy's heart twinge from remembered pain; he _always_ nodded like that whenever he was lying, and it made her swallow hard at the sudden memories. It was bittersweet to know that Peter had not changed much while she had, not just in physical appearance, but also in her mannerisms. She could feel the fearful questions bubbling up again: _'Would he even recognize me? Do I want him to?_

"Yeah, we know who you two are," Peter agreed, his voice pulling Galaxy from her worries. She watched, smiling slightly, as he looked over at Groot and whispered, "Who are they?"

"I am Groot," Groot said as if it was an answer.

"Yeah, you said that," Peter muttered.

Gamora sighed and looked over at Galaxy, frowning. She bit her lip in obvious reluctance before she turned to the raccoon and revealed, "I wasn't retrieving the orb for Ronan, I was betraying him," Once more, the green-skinned woman flicked her gaze over to Galaxy, who's expression had morphed from one of amusement to one of stone, "I had an agreement to sell it to a third party," she admitted in a softer voice.

The raccoon smiled in a way that was almost too sarcastic, "I bet that just made brown-hair over there _real_ happy, considering her… _relationship_ with Ronan and all."

"I am Groot," Groot said in agreement.

Peter huffed in annoyance, and shoot Groot a look of pure exasperation, "Well, that's just as fascinating as the first eighty-nine times you told me that. What is wrong with Giving Tree, here?"

Realizing the conversation was no longer going anywhere remotely interesting, Galaxy allowed herself to tune it out as much as possible so she could think. She had known Gamora for about a year – a year that Gamora had seemed happy about. There had never been any complaints or differing ideas, so her sudden reveal made Galaxy frown. Sure, when Gamora had first been 'borrowed' by Ronan, Galaxy could easily understand her wanting to betray him – she had, though she hated to think about it now, wondered whether or not reporting his location to Xandar would do any good when she had found out about his deal with Thanos – but that had been months ago, and Ronan had come _so far_ and changed just as much; Gamora had to have seen that. But why betray him now?

This was bad. Very bad. She had planned to wait to contact Ronan, but now it was clear she would have to move up her contact, and she now had to deal with hiding her contact from Gamora as well as everyone else. By the time Galaxy would be able to contact him, a time she could easily see stretching to days, word would have already gotten around of who she was connected with; her reputation had not been a factor until the raccoon had reminded her of it. and it was clear by some of the looks from the people around them that she would be less than safe.

She was forcibly jolted out of her thoughts when she ran into something large and wooden. She looked up in alarm to see Groot peering down at her. "I am Groot?" he somehow said in a question.

"Sorry," Galaxy apologized, taking a step back. She turned her to gaze to reason why they had stopped walking and sighed in exasperation, "Really?" she whispered to herself. Peter had stopped and had started to yell at a blue-skinned, large guard who was using..."Mom's Walkman?" Galaxy whispered once more, this time in shock as she recognized the headphones one the guard. Even if she hadn't seen them in twenty-odd years, she still remembered listening to the music, switching with Peter when his time had run out and it was her turn to listen to one of the coveted songs.

"You son of a...Hey! Listen to me, you big blue bastard. Take those headphones off. That's mine, those belong to impound. That tape and that player is mine!" While yelling at the guard, Peter had stormed into the room and had tried to appear as physically powerful as possible, but that had been a mistakebecause, seeing him as a threat, the guard poked him with some sort of stick that shocked Peter, sending a clearly painful electric current through him.

" _Hooked on a Feeling_ , Blue Swede, 1973. That song belongs to me!" Peter ground out once the current was over. In clear reply, Peter was poked with the same stick, sending a longer electric current through him. Galaxy winced, seeing the pain flash across her brother's face. She turned away, unwilling to see Peter in pain when she could do nothing about it.

* * *

After Peter had been kicked out of the room, without the Walkman, the group was forced again into a line. They were finally given the standard yellow uniform of the Kyln and ordered to change, women in one area and men in the other; Galaxy figured the men's area was the same uncomfortable silence as the women's area. No one looked at each other and instead turned to the wall. While they had been told they were welcomed to shower, no one particularly felt up to it. Their personal articles were rounded up by a young female guard and taken off in a messy bucket. Instead of leaving, the woman stood next to the older guard who had been watching them carefully throughout the changing process.

"Are there any other possessions?" the woman asked, her voice uncaring out of sheer boredom. When everyone shook their heads, she nodded, "The Kyln do not allow personal possessions. Should a prisoner be found with a contraband possession, they will be punished. Is that clear?" Her answer was wordless nods, which made the woman smile grimly, "I do not want to be here just as much as _you_ don't want to be here, so play nice! I don't want to have to deal with any of you more than I need to."With a huff and a look of extreme annoyance, she led the group of women outside of the room they had been in, mixing them back in with the men so that they were all in some sort of collection as they headed out to the rest of the prison.

The rest of the prison population looked up with evident interest in the group of new people. Gamora had, wisely, stepped back from the front so she was closer to Galaxy, but that didn't stop the two from getting noticed almost immediately. Galaxy winced as she started to hear whispering from prisoners, followed shortly by sharp glares in their directions.

The tension grew until one man, his voice filled with rage, yelled out, "You first! You first!"

"Murderers!"

"Coming for you first, Gamora!"

"You're dead!"

"You're scum! You're scum!"

Sometime during the cries, food had started to be thrown their way. Gamora had gotten the brunt of it, but Galaxy had a sauce of some sort sliding down her cheek. Gamora swallowed hard. "We should not linger," she said in a low voice. Galaxy looked over to see her flicking her gaze to their cell, which was on the second floor.

Galaxy nodded, frowning as she saw Peter looking around and then looking back at Gamora and herself. For a moment their eyes met, and Galaxy bit her lip, trying desperately not show any sort of recognition or familiar feelings or…She cursed mentally as she saw Peter's eyes widen. He took a small step towards her, his mouth falling open slightly in shock, " _Ariel?"_ he whispered, in a voice so quiet that Galaxy knew only she could hear it.

Unable to form any sort of words in response, Galaxy could only nod. She watched as Peter start to smile, to take another step towards her…And then the damned raccoon had to say, "It's like I said, they've got a rep. A lot of prisoners here have lost their families to Ronan and his goons. They'll last a day, tops."

Peter turned on his heel, only now truly taking in the very, very angry at the prisoners glaring at them. When one of the shouting men called, "Murderers!" Peter turned his own glare towards him.

Behind him, Galaxy could only shake her head. She had once seen Peter's willingness to take on others as brave, but, especially in a situation such as this, she could only describe it as stupid. Thankfully, Peter didn't run to the man and challenge him. He turned to the raccoon and asked, "The guards will protect them, right?"

"They're here to stop us from getting out. They don't care what we do to each other inside," the racoon pointed out.

Gamora suddenly stiffened, the movement drawing Galaxy's attention to her. She glanced over to see the green-skinned woman slightly turning her head, because behind her…Galaxy gulped, "Whatever nightmares the future holds, are dreams compared to what's behind me," Gamora said, a sentiment that Galaxy agreedwith.

The rest of the group turned, almost comically, and stared at the large, blue-skinned creature behind Gamora. He towered over them, his height nearly rivaling Groot's, " Check out the new meat. I'm gonna slather you up in Gunavian jelly, and go to town..."

His threat was cut off by Groot inserting two of his twig-like fingers into the man's nostrils and using them to painfully lift him into the air. The raccoon turned towards the rest of the prison, his eyes clearly on the group of men who had been watching their group almost hungrily, "Let's make something clear. This one here is our booty! You wanna get to him, you go through us! Or, more accurately, we go through you."

Statement clear, Groot dropped the man on the ground, leaving him curled up in the fetal position and whimpering. The raccoon sauntered off, and Groot followed. Peter stayed behind, his gaze going to Galaxy. He opened his mouth, likely to demand they talk, but Gamora was suddenly at her side, placing a firm hand on her arm, "We need to go," she said urgently.

Galaxy nodded. She tried to give an apologetic smile to Peter before she and Gamora walked, trying not to hurry to the point where it looked like fleeing, to their cell. The other inmates continued to hurl their abuse and their food towards them, but it soon did not matter as they both sat down in the cell, the door closing and becoming a barricade.

And if Galaxy saw Gamora flinch when one of the men slammed his first against the door and say in a lower voice, "No cell's gonna protect you two for long," then she did not say.

* * *

 **So I promise Galaxy and Gamora will be able to talk about Gamora's announcement that she's been trying to betray Ronan, it just doesn't happen for a bit. Galaxy takes a long time to think things out because she wants to make sure that she says something meaningful words that will impact the other person so she doesn't have to continue to speak up.**

 **With Peter and Galaxy, I was trying to figure out what would make him go to the bathroom scene besides thinking Gamora is hot, so I figured knowing his sister is there and going to be harmed would make him do everything to get in there and help her. I've really tried to build up their sibling relationship so I hope it seems realistic. Don't worry, they will talk!**

 **And now...review time:**

 **importchic: Thank you so much! I hope you enjoyed this chapter.**

 **Rylee87: I'm glad you like it!**


	5. Chapter 4

Galaxy did not speak to Gamora about what she had said earlier about the orb. In fact, she spoke nothing to Gamora that evening or night. She told herself that she had time to speak to her because they didn't even have the orb yet, but she knew that that was a lie. She would have to speak to Gamora soon because she would have to tell Ronan if Gamora's betrayal was real. She was hoping it wasn't, but that too was a lie she was telling herself. All seh could think about was how upset Ronan would be, how _hurt_ he would be; it wasn't just the betrayal they had to contend with, but the consequences that would follow after it. It would hurt Ronan even more to carry out those consequences.

Her thoughts too busy to settle down, Galaxy did not sleep well that night, which meant she was awake enough to hear the door to their cell open. Before she had a chance to warn Gamora, even if she was betraying them that didn't mean she deserved to die for Thanos' sins, she felt a male hand clamp over her mouth and two other hands drag her to her feet. She tried to struggle, to put up some sort of fight, but when she saw Gamora held in a similar position, she felt herself go limp. As if to mock her, Galaxy thought she could hear the raccoon's voice repeating, 'They'll last a day, tops,' it seemed he had been right.

* * *

The two were dragged down a hallway, the hand removed from their mouths, but only after a sharp knife had been pointed at their throats. As they neared the stairs to the first floor, Galaxy felt hope flood her as she saw a prison guard standing by them. When he looked over, though, the hope drained away as Galaxy saw no concern or anger from him, "Take them down to the showers. It'll be easier to clean up the blood down there," he instructed, sounding almost bored.

Gamora practically growled at the man, starting to struggle as they were led down the stairs. Galaxy tried to do the same, but she knew that if Gamora, who had gone through all of Thanos' horrible training, wasn't able to free herself then she would have no possibility. While Ronan had taught her some basic self-defense moves, they weren't for a situation like this. She was weak when it came to fighting close up, and even her shooting capabilities were not strong. It had always been an agreed upon plan that if she was grabbed then she would be able tor run, hide, and eventually escape. Even if she succeeded in the running part, where could she hide long enough for Ronan to come and get her? Their room wasn't safe and Galaxy doubted that anywhere else would be. Peter wasn't an option either, not because Galaxy didn't want him to get involved, but because he had no weapons on them. He would be just as powerless as they were.

As the two women were pressed, side by side, against the cold, white tile walls of the showers, Galaxy realized with chilling certainty that she was going to die. There wasn't anything she could do, there wasn't anything _Gamora_ could do. They were completely helpless to do anything but watch as the man who seemed to be the leader of the group stepped forwards with a knife and a glare at Galaxy, "Galaxy," he hissed, "consider this a death sentence for your betrayal to the entire universe for consorting romantically with Ronan."

Galaxy swallowed hard. She could hardly watch as the knife started to come slowly towards her neck. Just as she felt the cold, metal tip against her throat and the sting of a fresh cut hitting open air, a man entered the room. His footsteps echoed around them and the man with the knife turned around to see who the intruder was.

"You dare? You know who I am, yes?" the intruder asked, glaring down at the man with the knife.

"You're Drax, The Destroyer," the man whispered in reverence.

Drax nodded, "And you know why they call me this."

"You slayed dozens of Ronan's minions," the man said in the same tone as before.

Drax turned towards Galaxy and Gamora and sent them a look of pure loathing, "Ronan murdered my wife, Ovette, and my daughter, Camaria. He slaughtered them where they stood. And he laughed!" He turned back to the other inmates and regarded them with anger. "Their lives are not yours to take. He killed the woman I loved, I shall kill the woman he loved. He killed my daughter, I shall kill one like his."

The man nodded shakily, "Of course, Drax. Here, I..." he handed the knife to Drax, the tip of the blade already blemished with blood. Her blood, Galaxy remembered weakly as Drax started towards them.

It was just as surprising to her as it was to the men when Gamora kicked out. She grabbed the other inmates' weapons and held them against the original leader and Drax. Not one to ignore a gift, Galaxy wormed her way out of the slacking grip of the two men and kicked them both soundly. They fell to the floor with identical high-pitched whimpers; if the situation hadn't been so serious, Galaxy would have snickered.

Gamora glared at Drax and the other man, "I'm no family to Ronan or Thanos," she said in a proud, steely voice. Very slowly, she took a step back and dropped the knives onto the ground, her hands raised in the air, "I'm your only hope at stopping him," she swallowed and, flicking her eyes to Galaxy, she added, "We both are."

In response, Drax lashed out and grabbed Galaxy by the throat and pinned her roughly against the wall. She gasped loudly for air, unable to focus on anything except for the sudden excessive need to breath, "Woman, your words mean nothing to me," Drax yelled over to Gamora, shaking Galaxy slightly as if to prove his point. Galaxy only clawed at his hand in response.

"Hey! Hey, hey, hey! Hey!" At the voice, the familiar voice to Galaxy, Drax's grip lightened enough that Galaxy was able to breath in a small amount of air, though it still wasn't near enough she would need to avoid blacking out. But, at the very least, Drax's attention was now split between Gamora, Galaxy, and Peter.

"You know, if killing Ronan is truly your sole purpose, I don't think this is the best way to go about it," Peter stated with a smile that even Galaxy thought was semi-friendly…until she saw the less than friendly look in his eyes. It was the same look he had when he faced down the group of older boys who had hit her when she declined a kiss. That fight had been the only one their mother had rewarded him for.

Drax frowned, "Are you not the man these wenches attempted to kill?" He asked, once more giving Galaxy a shake.

Peter's reply came rather quickly, quicker than Galaxy had truly expected, "Well, I mean, they're hardly the first women to try and do that to me." He pulled up his shirt and gestured to a scar on his side, "Look, this is from a smoking-hot Rajak girl. Stabbed me with a fork. Didn't like me skipping out on her at sunrise," Allowing the shirt to drop, he gestured towards a scar close to his throat, "I got, right here, a Kree girl tried to rip out my thorax. She caught me with this skinny little A'askavariian who worked in Nova Records. I was trying to get information. You ever see an A'askavariian? They have tentacles and needles for teeth. If you think I'm seriously interested in that, then..." Peter's voice trailed off, and Galaxy winced as the grip on her throat tightened once more, evidence of Drax's lack of attention, "You don't care. But here's the point. They've betrayed Ronan, he's coming back for them. And when he does, that's when you..." Peter drew a line across his throat slowly.

"Why would I put my finger on his throat?" Drax asked with a frown.

"What?" Peter blinked and stared down at his finger before he nodded slowly, "Oh, this is a symbol. This is a symbol for you slicing his throat," he explained while doing the gesture again.

Drax just shook his head, "I would not slice his throat, I would cut his head clean off."

"It's a general expression for you killing somebody," Peter huffed in annoyance. He sent Galaxy an exasperated look, which she did not return. Shaking his head, he turned to the other man to do the same motion again, "You've heard of this. You've seen this, right? You know what that is."

"Yeah. Yeah," the man nodded.

Peter grinned triumphantly. "Everyone knows."

And then Peter's grin slipped off as the man suddenly, giving Drax a worried look, shook his head and said, "No, no."

"What I'm saying is, you want to keep her alive. And the other one. Don't do his work for him," Peter said, his eyes going to Galaxy's. He seemed to give her a cocky smile, as if to reassure her that everything would be alright. Perhaps, if Galaxy were able to get a deeper breath in, she would agree. But until she was unceremoniously dropped to the ground, there would be no smiles to her brother. Even when she was dropped, all she could was grip onto the tiles underneath her as an anchor and wheeze for air. She was only vaguely aware of Drax heading off with the knife and the man sadly complaining about loosing the weapon before he went as well, leaving Gamora, Peter, the raccoon, and herself in the showers in an uncomfortable silence broken only by Galaxy's gasps.

She looked up to see Peter kneeling down next to her, frowning, "You look horrible," he said with a shake of his head.

Unable to answer, Galaxy held out her hand and Peter took it, helping her slowly to her feet. When she displayed a slight shake, he grabbed her by the waist and held tight. In response, Galaxy gave him a small smile, "Thanks," she wheezed out.

She looked away from her brother to see Gamora and the raccoon staring at them, their eyes wide, though Gamora's were quickly narrowing into a glare as she eyed Peter's hands, "I would remove your hands from Galaxy if you want to keep them. I know of your reputation," Gamora snapped.

Peter held up his hands wearily, though only after he gave Galaxy a quick once over to make sure she would be alright without his assistance, "I don't recall my reputation involving incest," he pointed out with a thoroughly disgusted look.

"Incest?" At Gamora's question, and the look that accompanied it, Galaxy winced slightly. Peter had never had any sort of tact ever, and it seemed that that had only gotten worse as he had gotten older.

Peter scoffed and shook his head, "I'm not going to do anything with her. She's my little sister."

"Twin," Galaxy corrected, even as she saw Gamora's face flash with different emotions – shock, understanding, and then a painful smile. Her face settled just as quickly to a simple look and a nod. She didn't say anything though, which made Galaxy look down, feeling guilt bubble up. She knew she should have told Gamora earlier when they were in the cell, but she was so busy thinking about Ronan that she hadn't even thought to. A lousy excuse for a lousy mistake. Galaxy had given her a brief explanation of her background – getting kidnapped by Yondu off of Earth and then getting sold by Yondu to Ronan's father when she was ten – but she had never mentioned Peter, a decision she now regretted. Gamora had never given her a reason to not trust her, until recently, that is, and Galaxy had thanked that trust by omitting details. She knew that Gamora was wondering what _else_ Galaxy hadn't told her. It was what she would be wondering.

Peter, however, seemed oblivious to Galaxy's and Gamora's thinking. In fact, he was _talking_ to Gamora, casually saying, "Just so you know, I could care less whether you live or whether you die."

Instead of looking confused, Gamora just nodded, "You were saving your sister," she stated.

"Yeah. And, _you k_ now where to sell my orb."

At his words, Galaxy stepped away from Peter, "Your orb?"

Peter blinked and looked at her with a frown, "Yeah Ariel, _my orb."_

Galaxy matched Peter's frown with one of her own, "It belongs to Ronan," she said in what she hoped was a steely voice. Judging by the way Peter was biting his cheek in an attempt not smile, she knew she had failed.

"It belongs to _no one_ while we are here," Gamora cut across the twins in a tone of voice that _was_ steely, "How can you even discuss selling the orb when we and it are still here?"

Peter turned to Gamora and gave her an easy-going smile, "My friend Rocket, here, has escaped twenty-two prisons," he said with a gesture to the raccoon.

The raccoon, Rocket, nodded, "Oh, we're getting out. And then we're headed straight to Yondu to retrieve your bounty."

"Yondu has a bounty on you?" Galaxy asked her brother, her brow furrowing. Peter had always been Yondu's favorite, not just out of the two siblings but out of the entire crew. The only way he could have fallen out of favor was if..."You're stealing the orb from him, aren't you?" Galaxy asked.

Peter didn't respond, instead turning to Gamora, "How much was your buyer willing to pay you for my orb?" he asked as a semi-answer to Galaxy's question.

Gamora huffed and glanced over at Galaxy before she answered, "Four billion units."

"What?!" Rocket cried out, his eyes widening.

"Holy shit," Peter gasped.

Gamora nodded, "That orb is my opportunity to get away from Thanos and Ronan," she explained, "If you free us, I'll lead you to the buyer directly and I'll split the profit between the three of us."

Peter frowned and motioned to Galaxy, "There are four of us," he pointed out.

At her addition, Galaxy took a rapid step back, "I want nothing to do with selling the orb," she said, "I would rather give it to Ronan."

While Peter looked like he was going to say something in very loud, very vocal protest, Gamora just held up her hand, cutting him off, "The profit will be split between the three of us," she repeated.

"I am Groot," Groot said suddenly, making the entire group, except for Rocket, jerk. Groot had _not_ been there during the fight earlier…or in the past couple of minutes. Galaxy crossed her arms as she eyed the tree-creature. How had even gotten over to them?

Rocket nodded quickly as if he was agreeing with Groot's statement, "Four of us. Asleep for the danger, awake for the money, as per frickin' usual," he finished with a grumble and a pointed look to Groot. Galaxy swore she could see the tree creature giving the raccoon a look of his own.

There was a pause as the group in the showers fell silent. Finally, Gamora broke the silence by fixing them all, mainly Rocket and Peter, with a look, "We will finish discussing this later," she stated. She walked out of the showers, quickly followed by Rocket and Groot, leaving Peter and Galaxy alone.

For the first time in over ten years, the twins were able to get a proper look at each other. Galaxy could see that her brother's hair had lightened to the same whispy quality their mother had promised it would be. He had the same laugh lines as their mother too, large and proud when he smiled. His eyes had lightened as well, turning a paler blue than Galaxy remembered them being.

Peter suddenly stepped forwards and wrapped her into a tight hug. Galaxy hugged him back, smiling widely when she pulled back.

"I can't believe it's you," Galaxy said in a small voice, "It's been what? Ten years?"

"Twelve," Peter corrected automatically. He frowned and crossed his arms, his brow furrowing, "Why don't you go by Ariel anymore?"

Galaxy smiled slightly at the question, "It was Ronan's idea," she said wistfully, "He and I spent a year at this tiny planet and we didn't really want them to know our names. I called him Milky Way and he called my Galaxy. It just ended up sticking."

Peter gave her a small smile, though it was still tinged with his frown from earlier, "You really like this Ronan guy," he remarked.

"Yeah," Galaxy admitted.

"Even though he's a genocidal manic?"

"Hey!" Galaxy protested, "He stopped killing people months ago!"

"Wow," Peter whistled, "Who knew a few months changes a genocidal manic into a pacifistic."

Galaxy gave her brother a glare, "At least I'm not a Ravager who's stealing from another Ravager," she snapped while crossing her arms. She knew that her brother had a point - Ronan _had_ stopped killing only a few months ago, and Ronan _had_ wanted to get rid of the people of Xandar. While she knew that Ronan had changed and had made the huge steps towards being a better man, the universe wouldn't know that.

"Genocidal..." Peter replied, deliberately slowing down the word.

The two stared each other down, daring the other to break first. Galaxy felt a flash of pride when it was Peter who stepped forwards and held out his arms in a semi-peace offering. She accepted it wordlessly and without question - of course she would forgive her brother, just as he would always forgive her. There had never been any question.

Pulling back from the hug, Peter shook his head as Galaxy tried to hide a yawn, "Come on shortstack," he said, the old nickname slipping out easily, "Let's head to bed. We can talk more tomorrow."

Trying, and likely failing, to hide her second yawn, Galaxy slipped her arm around her brother's waist as they walked out of the showers, but they paused when they saw Gamora and Rocket both standing very far apart from each other. Gamora was giving Galaxy a reproachable look while Rocket looked exhausted.

Feeling oddly guilty, Galaxy pulled away from her brother and took a few steps away from him, "Sleep well," she said as her farewell.

"You too," he replied.

Turning her back to her brother, Galaxy walked to Gamora. Without speaking, the green woman led Galaxy from Peter, sister from brother. If Galaxy had turned around, she would have seen an impatient raccoon looking up at Peter while he watched the two women go off to their rooms, and if Galaxy had the gift of reading minds, she would heard him firmly decide that he would be taking her with them to sell the orb whether she liked it or not. No matter what, Peter had decided, he would not leave her behind.

* * *

 **So I know Peter's and Galaxy's first conversation wasn't a huge thing but they both really don't know what to do around each other. Plus all Peter has been hearing is that his sister is somehow romantically involved with this guy who's killed a lot of people and she's in jail because of. Galaxy has no idea what he's been doing for the past few years either. Plus since they've both changed since they were ten. So it's basically like starting over for them.**

 **As for Peter's decision, I hope it makes sense. I can't see someone like Peter, who clings onto everything related to his mother, would walk away from Galaxy after finding her again.**

 **For the next chapter, we finally get some Ronan, and Galaxy will confront Gamora!**

 **If anyone is interested in Doctor Who OCs, I have my new one, Dezi, going up on Sunday.**


	6. Chapter 5

Ronan the Accuser stood in front of Thanos, painfully aware that he was before the man in submission. Nebula was off to the side, watching as she fixed a part on her arm with a screwdriver. Usually Gamora would be next to her, watching as well, and then next to them would have been Galaxy, dressed in something simple as to not draw attention to her. He knew that Thanos was aware of their relationship, but he still would not risk flaunting it in front of him.

But this was not a usual visit to Thanos – if anyone could have a usual visit to the man in the first place. Gamora and Galaxy weren't there. He had gotten word that morning that they were both in the Kyln. He had been…less than pleased. It had taken Nebula informing him that a call from Thanos had come through and he should want to go see to it immediately to stop him from going to the Kyln that second and grabbing Gamora and Galaxy.

Then, as if the entire cosmos was trying to mock him, Nebula had informed him, as they headed to Thanos' call, that the titan's sources had revealed that Gamora had planned the entire mission to betray him! The only bright spot in that news was that Galaxy was still loyal, and had remained loyal even when Gamora was trying to broker a deal involving selling the orb.

Of course, Thanos had taken the opportunity to rub this betrayal in his face by setting up a video and had his servant, the Other speak to him, "You have been betrayed, Ronan," the Other mocked.

Ronan crossed his arms, "We know only that she has been captured. Gamora may yet recover the orb," he pointed out, having enough sense to not add Galaxy in with Gamora. Thanos was not the kind to be merciful to those who make mistakes and Ronan knew that when Thanos took his anger out on him, Galaxy would be at risk. Better that Galaxy's part in this affair was kept quiet, even if that meant withholding details from Thanos - another thing the titan did not like.

The Other sneered at him, "No! Our sources within the Kyln say Gamora has her own plans for the orb. Your partnership with Thanos is at risk. Thanos requires your presence. Now!"

As the video blipped out of existence, Ronan nodded to one of his servants, "Make the necessary preparations."

* * *

While his ship traveled, Ronan had paced, asking Nebula questions about Galaxy. Her sources had very little on the woman, just that she was in the Kyln, clearly still loyal to him, and had been seen speaking intently to a male named Peter. Ronan had growled once the list had been given to him. Everything was things he already knew or had suspected; completely useless!

When they landed, Ronan paused before he stepped out to meet with Thanos. He moved his hand down to his wrist and took off his way to contact Galaxy. The last thing he wanted was Thanos to grab it somehow. Ronan did not know what the titan would do to Galaxy if he ever grew frustrated enough with Ronan to go after her, and he intended to keep it that way. Even if hiding his affections for Galaxy was a vain attempt, it was still _something_ he could do. It would kill him if Galaxy was ever hurt because of his actions, and, Ronan remembered with a hard swallow, the longer she stayed in the Kyln, the more likely it would be for her to be hurt because of him. The Klyn was apart of Xandar, was filled with mainly Xandarians; they would know who Galaxy was the minute she stepped foot in the prison.

It was imperative that this meeting did not last long.

He looked over at Nebula, "Do you trust these sources?" He asked in a low voice, "Would they ever mislead you about something of this nature?"

Nebula jerked at the question, as if she was shocked that he had even bothered to ask, "I don't trust anyone. But this is multiple sources saying the same thing."

Ronan sighed heavily, "Lead the way," he said unenthusiastically, motioning to the door.

Nebula walked up to Thanos and stepped to the side while Ronan had stood in front of the man, waiting for him to speak. After several long, tense minutes, Ronan finally said, "With all due respect, Thanos, your daughter made this mess, and yet you summon me."

"I would lower my voice, Accuser," the Other snapped, glaring at him for the disrespect that was clear in his voice.

Ronan glared back at the servant, allowing his anger over the situation, over the danger Galaxy was in because _he_ had let her leave, to bubble to his surface, "First, she lost a battle with some primitive," he started.

"Thanos put Gamora under your charge," the Other responded.

"Then she was apprehended by the Nova Corps," Ronan continued.

The Other sneered, "She was not the only one apprehended," he pointed out.

Ronan tightened his grip on his Warhammer, trying very hard to not use it to take the Other's head off, "Galaxy is not the one that your sources report plans to betray us the whole time!"

"Lower your tone! I may be your..." the Other's voice cut off as Thanos, not even turning his floating throne of rock around, twisted his hand. The Other fell forward, his neck snapped.

Ronan swallowed hard at the display of power, at the threat it held. It could easily be him that would fall with his neck snapped. He looked up at the back of Thanos' chair, "I only ask that you take this matter seriously," he said in the calmest voice he could muster.

The throne of rock turned slowly until Thanos faced him, glaring down at him, "The only matter I do not take seriously, boy, is you. Your politics bore me. Your demeanor is that of a pouty child. And, apparently, you alienated my favorite daughter, Gamora. I shall honor our agreement, Kree, if you bring me the orb. But return to me again empty handed, and I will bathe the starways in your blood."

Ronan nodded, floundering for something to respond with. He was saved, thankfully, by Nebula getting up from her perch, leaving the screwdriver behind, to address Thanos, "Thanks, Dad. Sounds fair," she started to head to their ship, pausing to speak to Ronan before she left fully, "This is one fight you won't win. Let's head to the Kyln."

* * *

 **The Kyln**

Before anyone else was awake in the prison, Galaxy stood in front of Gamora. The two women had gotten a few hours of sleep, a sleep that was not the least bit restful, before Galaxy finally asked if they could talk. Gamora had readily agreed and had even given Galaxy a small smile, as if she was trying to look approachable.

"Why are you betraying Ronan?" Galaxy asked immediately.

Gamora's smile slipped as she struggled to find an answer, "It's not just Ronan that I want to get away from," she started slowly. "It's him and Thanos and -" Gamora shook her head as she cut herself off, "I want to be free."

"Free from what?"

"From this life!" At Gamora's sudden raised voiced, Galaxy flinched back, "I can't go anywhere without the risk of getting caught because Thanos controlled my actions or Ronan controls them."

"Ronan doesn't control you," Galaxy protested, "If you want freedom all you have to do is ask him."

Gamora shook her head, a sad, bitter smile twisting her face, "He may invite our opinion from time to time, and he may give us a lifestyle far different than the one Thanos gave Nebula and I, but there is only one person who can ask of him anything remotely _close_ to a challenge."

"How is requesting something a challenge?" Galaxy asked, "Even if he did see it as a challenge, he welcomes those –"

"From you," Gamora finished, "Challenges are welcomed from you."

Galaxy instantly shook her head, "Ronan welcomes challenges from everyone. If you had only brought up your feelings before this we could have worked something out," she crossed her arms and looked down at the ground between them, "By Kree laws, he has the right to subjugate you to his ruling. You and I both know he'll be coming soon."

In response to that question, before Galaxy could even blink, Gamora lunged forwards and grabbed her arm in a vise-like grip. The green-skinned woman pulled up her sleeve to reveal the communicator, "Have you used this?" She asked urgently. When Galaxy did not reply, she repeated the question, just as urgently, but in a yell.

"I haven't had a chance," Galaxy admitting, flinching back as much as she could while still in Gamora's grip, "Even if I had it doesn't matter, though. We both know how fast word travels and –"

"He's keeping an eye out for your name," Gamora finished slowly. She shook her head and let Galaxy's arm drop as she stepped away, "Damn," she hissed, running a hand through her hair as she turned away and started to pace, "I don't expect you to agree with my choice," she started, "but please don't stop me. I only want peace, not a war."

Galaxy nodded slowly, "That's all Ronan wants as well. The only issue is Thanos."

Gamora growled, actually _growled,_ at the mention of the man, "I will take care of him," she snapped.

"What about the orb?" Galaxy asked after a pregnant, nervous pause.

Gamora sighed and sat onto the ground, her body far too tense to look remotely relaxed or comfortable, "Why does Ronan want it?"

Galaxy winced slightly at the question, "I do not know," she admitted, "Ronan has only told me he has no plans to give it to Thanos."

Nodding slowly, Gamora looked down at her hand, "I don't know much about the orb, except that it is incredibly powerful," she shook her head, "If Thanos were to get it…" her voice trailed off, leaving Galaxy to freely imagine the horrors that would happen.

"Why don't we vow that whoever gets it, they make sure it does not get to Thanos' hands," Galaxy suggested tentatively.

Gamora nodded, "I can agree to that."

Their vow made, Galaxy looked down at her wrist and sighed at the blank spot on her wrist, "May I have the communicator back?

"Are you going to contact Ronan?" Gamora asked, her posture shifting back over to tense.

Galaxy shook her head, "Not until I get some sort of plan with Peter."

Excepting the answer, Gamora got up to give Galaxy the communicator when, quite suddenly, their cell door started to open. Turning on her foot, Gamora slipped on the slick floor of the cell and fell heavily, a glass-shattering sound coming from underneath her. Finding her feet, Gamora stood and looked down at the communicator which was completely shattered to the point of no repair, "I'm so sorry," she apologized, holding it out to Galaxy.

Taking it gingerly, Galaxy looked down at the watch face, "It's okay," she tried to say in a reassuring voice, "At least you didn't harm yourself."

Gamora nodded, "I'm surprised it shatter so easily. It seems pointless to make a communicator that can break if you fall on it."

"It sends him my location if it breaks," Galaxy admitted with wince at the way Gamora looked at her and the glass with newfound concern, "He knows I'm horrible at fighting."

"Would he come for you automatically?"

"He's probably on his way already, never mind the communicator."

Gamora took a step back and crossed her arms, "Will you go with him?"

"It depends on Peter," Galaxy answered with a shrug, "Ronan is aware that I'll want to catch up with him and he's fine with it as long as I come back."

With an expression of clear disbelief, Gamora looked out onto the rest of the prison. Galaxy waited, expecting Gamora to press about her twin, but she was surprised when the green-skined woman sniffed deeply, "Breakfast is starting," she reported,"That should give us an opportunity to speak to Peter."

* * *

Gamora had grabbed a small fruit of some sort with a half-smile on her face before she hurried to a table near the back. Galaxy watched her go, noting that Rocket and Groot had joined her. She winced slightly, seeing Gamora stiffened and move away when the two sat down. Keeping an ear out for yelling from either of the parties, Galaxy scanned the room for Peter, and then smiled. She walked over to a male figure standing alone and tapped him on the shoulder. He turned, jumping, only to relax and smile.

"How'd you sleep?" He asked casually.

"Not great. You?"

"About the same."

The siblings eyed each other out of the corner of their eyes, both trying to assess if the 'not great' sleep had lasting effects. Both seeing nothing, they went back to scanning the food in front of them.

"Remember when Mom would make pancakes?" Peter asked suddenly.

Galaxy nodded, a small smile growing on her face as she remembered, "She would get flour everywhere."

"They tasted good though," Peter responded with a shrug.

Galaxy looked over at Peter, following his gaze onto a pair of pancake-like food. She walked over slowly and touched one. The texture was firmer, almost crisp and, when she inhaled, she couldn't help but smile at the nearly familiar smell. She picked up two of them and walked over to Peter, "Gamora got a table for us. Rocket and Groot are already there."

Eyeing the plate almost suspiciously, Peter followed Galaxy through the crowds of people until they reached their table and sat down at it.

Rocket, who was nibbling on something that looked like a fruit, did not look up at them until the two were settled. He shook his head, "You two are just _too_ cute," he snapped in a sarcastic tone, "Twelve years apart and you're already sharing food."

Gamora gave Rocket a glare, "Tell them what you were telling me before they got here," she ordered. When Rocket seemed to try and protest, Gamora just leaned forwards and made a fist with one of her hands.

Rocket shook his head, though he kept one eye on Gamora even when she leaned back, "If we're gonna get out of here, we're gonna need to get into that watchtower," he said grudgingly, "And to do that I'm gonna need a few things. The guards wear security bands to control their ins and outs. I need one."

"Leave it to me," Gamora said in a clear claim, already eyeing one of the male guards.

Their table fell silent when another prisoner, one of his legs metal, walked past them. Rocket watched the man as he went before he turned his gaze and attention to the rest of them, "That dude, there. I need his prosthetic leg."

"His leg?" Peter's question, echoed by Galaxy's own unspoken thoughts, made Rocket smile.

"Yeah. God knows I don't need the rest of him. Look at him, he's useless."

Galaxy glanced over at Peter, her own confusion mirrored on his face. He shook his head, "Alright," he agreed slowly.

Rocket turned to Galaxy, "Are you coming with us?" He asked, crossing his arms, "Because if so you need to make yourself useful too."

Galaxy glanced over at Gamora before she nodded, "I'll come. But I am _not_ taking part in selling the orb."

Rocket just shrugged, "Your loss," he turned to point to the main guard tower which was strategically placed in the middle of the prison, "And finally, on the wall back there is a black panel. Blinky yellow light. Do you see it?"

The entire group turned to look at the box, "Yeah," Peter said, squinting slightly.

"There's a quarnyx battery behind it. Purplish box, green wires. To get into that watchtower, I definitely need it."

The group swiveled back around, allowing Galaxy to see the frown on Gamora's face when she asked, "How are we supposed to do that?"

Rocket pointed at Galaxy, "Well, supposably, these bald-bodies find you attractive. So, maybe you can work out some sort of trade."

Galaxy stared at Rocket, her mouth dropping open. She could feel Peter shaking beside her. Underneath the table, she kicked him hard, making him yelp out and hold his hands up in a mock surrender, "Attack him!" He protested.

"You're joking," she decided, eyeing Rocket.

"No, I really heard they find you attractive."

She gestured over to the black panel, "Look, it's twenty feet up in the air, and it's in the middle of the most heavily-guarded part of the prison. It's impossible to get up there without being seen."

"I got one plan, and that plan requires a frickin' quarnyx battery, so figure it out! Can I get back to it? Thanks," the rest of the group fell silent as Rocket started to explain once more, "Now, this is important. Once the battery is removed, everything is gonna slam into emergency mode. Once we have it, we gotta move quickly, so you definitely need to get that last," the alarm suddenly went off, causing the group to look up to see…"Or we could just get it first and improvise," Rocket finished, not even appearing surprised to see Groot at the panel, digging in to find the battery while the prison went into shutdown around him.

"I'll get the armband," Gamora stated, already in the process of getting up from the table.

Galaxy and Peter exchanged quick looks before Peter nodded and said, "Leg."

Getting up from the table, the twins ran through the crowd, Galaxy falling behind as she had to go around most of the people while Peter just barreled through with no regard.

"What cell did he go into?" Peter yelled back, coming to a halt as he scanned the many, many rows of cells.

"Up and to the left!" Galaxy yelled back, pointing to the cell on the floor above him where the man's metallic foot was resting.

The two ran up the stairs and to the man, Galaxy falling against the wall while Peter, gasping for breath, pointed at the leg and panted, "We need that."

"You need my what?" The man snapped.

"We'll pay you for it," Galaxy promised. Peter sent her a very displeased look as he nodded too.

The man crossed his arms, "Thirty thousand units."

"What?!" Peter cried out at the same time of Galaxy's firm reply of, "We'll do it."

Ignoring Peter, the man turned to Galaxy. "Thank you," he said curtly. He bent over and slowly undid his leg. He held it out, unattached, to Galaxy.

"Thank you," she echoed in response, taking the leg. Nodding to Peter, the twins ran back to the stairs.

"Where's the money coming from?" Peter yelled his question.

"Ronan's personal account," Galaxy yelled back.

The twins continued to run, aiming for the stairs, when a guard suddenly came towards them, "Drop the leg! Drop the leg and move back to your cells!" The man yelled.

Taking a step back, Galaxy started to raise her arms, as if to surrender. Seeing the guard start to relax slightly, she used the leg to lash out, hitting the man in the head and sending in a knocked-out heap to the floor. Peter, lunging forwards, grabbed the man's guns to shoot at a security droid coming towards them. Grabbing Galaxy's free hand, he pulled her with him to a sprint as they made it over to Rocket, Groot, and Gamora.

"Move to the watchtower!" Rocket ordered from atop of a very proud looking Groot.

Not needing to be told twice, the group started to head to the watchtower, which stood proudly above the entire area. the five of them each starting to climb as soon as possible. A whirling sound came from overhead, which Galaxy ignored until she heard the whirling sound grinding to a halt.

"You! Man who has lain with an A'askavariian!" Drax yelled, landing with a thud that shook the ground near him.

Galaxy heard Peter grumble from behind her, "It was one time, man," but despite his displeasure he paused to speak to the man.

* * *

The group, Drax now included, walked to the door at the top of the guard watchtower and watched as it slid open, revealing a very frightened guard who instantly put his hands in the air. Groot just strolled over, picked him up, and threw him out of the window. The watchtower was very crowded as they all packed in, leaving little room for anyone. As if fate was laughing at them, Galaxy bit her lip as she saw Gamora and Drax end up standing across from each other, and, of course, Gamora instantly noticed the addition.

"Spare me your foul gaze, woman," Drax spat, seeing Gamora's gaze on him.

Gamora shook her head, "Why is this one here?" She asked the room at large.

Peter winced at the question, "We promised him he could stay by yours and Galaxy's side until he kills Roro-"

"Ronan," Galaxy interrupted with a glare at her brother.

Peter waved in her general direction while staying either completely oblivious or purposefully ignoring her glare, "I always keep my promises, when they're to muscle-bound whack-jobs who will kill me if I don't," he said cheerfully.

Galaxy just sighed, "It's pointless to argue," she informed Gamora. She threw the leg over to the left of Rocket, "We got it."

Rocket stared down at the leg and started to laugh, "Oh, I was just kidding about the leg. I just need these two things."

"What?" Peter and Galaxy snapped together, which only made Rocket laugh harder.

"No, I...I thought it'd be funny. Was it funny? No, wait, what did he look like hopping around?"

"I had to transfer him thirty thousand units!" Galaxy protested. Rocket shook his head, still laughing to himself. He knocked the leg off the controls as he started to busy himself with it, humming loudly as he worked.

"How are we gonna leave?" Drax asked loudly, his voice just bubbling with built up rage.

"Well, he's got a plan. Right? Or is that another thing you made up?" Peter snapped at Rocket, crossing his arms.

"I have a plan! I have a plan!" Rocket reassured.

"Cease your yammering and relieve us from this irksome confinement," Drax ordered, glaring at the entire group, though special attention was given to Galaxy and Gamora.

Peter just nodded, not affected by the glare, "Yeah, I'll have to agree with the walking thesaurus on that one."

Drax turned onto Peter with an intensified glare, "Do not ever call me a thesaurus."

"It's just a metaphor, dude," Peter said, eyeing Drax warily.

Galaxy shook her head, "His species is literal. He won't understand a metaphor; it'll go over his head," she explained to Peter, who nodded slowly.

"Nothing goes over my head. My reflexes are too fast. I would catch it," Drax announced proudly, giving Galaxy a glare for even suggesting the idea.

Gamora raised her fingers to her forehead and shook her head, "I'm gonna die surrounded by the biggest idiots in the galaxy."

Ignoring her, Peter leaned forwards to look out the windows of the tower, frowning as saw the guards surrounding it with very large guns. Circling above them were the security droids, which also had guns, "Those are some big guns." he warned, glancing over to see Rocket still working at the same pace as before.

From outside, Galaxy could hear the head of the guards yell, "On my command! Number one!"

The man on their far left fired, his bullet hitting the glass of the watchtower on Peter's and Galaxy's and Drax's side. Galaxy looked up warily to see that the glass was still intact. "Rodent, we are ready for your plan," Gamora growled, leaning forwards so she could watch Rocket work.

For his part, Rocket had started speeding up even before Gamora had snapped at him, "Hold on!" He snapped back.

"Number two!" The head guard yell. A bullet from that man's weapon hit the watchtower's center panel.

"I recognize this animal. We'd roast them over a flame pit as children. Their flesh was quite delicious," Drax said suddenly in a rather jovial tone as he eyed Rocket.

"Not helping!" Rocket snapped at the man.

"Number three!" Yet another panel was hit on Gamora's side of the tower, and this time, the window cracked ominously. Everyone except for Rocket turned to see a long line formed on the glass, but it didn't shatter, "All fire on my command!"

Galaxy spared a glance from Rocket's fast moving hands to look over at Peter. His eyes were closed and he had turned a sickly white. She gently reached over to take his hand, only for him to pull it away and jump back, wide-eyed and mouth open. He looked horrified to see her for a moment before he seemed to shake himself out of whatever daze he was in and give her a cocky smile. "We'll be fine," he reassured in a low voice. Galaxy nodded, glancing down at the hand that Peter did not take when her brother turned away.

"Three! Two! One!" Just as the last number was called out, Rocket triumphantly flipped a switch that made the entire building shake around them. Losing her feet, Galaxy grabbed onto Rocket's chair. The moment it took to compose herself allowed her to look out the windows ahead very clearly. At the sight, she felt her jaw drop.

"You turned off the artificial gravity, everywhere but in here," Gamora said in an awed voice as she too looked out the windows.

Outside of their watchtower, the guards were floating, trying desperately to scramble to some sort of railing. If Galaxy looked close enough, she could see several of the prisoners floating out from their cells as well, which just added to the chaos as the guards started to yell at them.

"I told you I had a plan," Rocket boosted. He hit another lever and the watchtower shook again. There was a sound underneath them and suddenly they too were floating. He somehow attached the security droids to the base of the tower and used them to fly the watchtower out of the main prison area and too a hallway.

"That was a pretty good plan," Peter said with a shake of his head as the watchtower grinded to a halt just outside the room with their personal possessions in it.

The doors slid open, allowing the group to clamber out and grab their items. While everyone else went through their items, Peter hastily grabbed his before he started to look around until he whooped, "Yeah! There it is. Get my ship. It's the Milano, the orange and blue one over in the corner," he explained to Rocket while pointing at the ship.

Rocket, however, wasn't paying attention, "They crumpled my pants up into a ball. That's rude! They folded yours."

As if realizing he hadn't gone through his bag, Peter looked down to see that his pants were folded up. Underneath them was the orb but…he shook it, nearly dumping everything out.

Gamora, who was leaning over Peter's shoulder, just shook her head, "The orb's there. Let's go!"

"Wait, wait, wait," Peter said hurriedly. He shook the bag again and then huffed.

"What?" Galaxy asked, frowning at the face her brother was making.

"That bastard didn't put it back," he snapped.

Galaxy's eyes widened. She grabbed the bag from Peter and looked for herself. There was no Walkman with orange headphones. She handed it back to Peter, "Let me help," she offered, a determined look forming on her face.

Peter quickly shook his head. "You physically can't," As Galaxy frowned at his answer, Peter handed the bag over to Gamora, "Here. Get them to the ship, I will be right back."

Gamora took the bag and passed it over to Galaxy so she could follow Peter to ask, "How are you gonna possibly..."

"Just keep the Milano close by. Go. Go!" His yell still ringing in their ears, Peter headed off, leaving the group to stare at each other.

* * *

It was far too easy to board the Milano; it wasn't even surrounded by guards! Rocket had happily made himself at home in the front while Gamora took a seat gingerly to Galaxy's right. Groot and Drax towered in the back. Far too many minutes had gone by, long enough that Galaxy knew the guards were likely coming to them now. It wasn't like the watchtower was parked in an area that they wouldn't find. Plus, there was no way Peter could even get to them! The Milano was floating in space.

"Well, how's he gonna get to us?" Rocket snapped at Gamora and Galaxy, giving them both glares.

"He declined to share that information with me," Gamora snapped back. She gestured over to Galaxy as she added, "Or her."

Drax nodded in approval, "He is wise not trust women such as you."

Galaxy swiveled around in her seat, "Will you please shut up," she snapped.

Drax frowned, "What does 'shutting up' have to do with this man not trusting you?"

Groaning in frustration, Galaxy swiveled back around, trying very hard to pretend that Drax was not behind her. Several more minutes went by, long enough for Rocket to snap, "Well, screw this, then! I ain't waiting around for some humie with a death wish. You got the orb, right?"

Gamora, not even waiting for Galaxy to protest, grabbed the bag from her and nodded, "Yes," she informed Rocket as she started to dig through it.

"No," Galaxy corrected, just as Gamora's hand came out of the bag with no orb in it.

While Rocket forcibly slammed the heel of his hand into his forehead, Gamora turned to stare at Galaxy, incredulous, "You knew?"

Galaxy shrugged, "He's my brother; I knew there was a possibility," zhe started to smile as she took the bag back, "He pulled that trick a lot when we were younger."

Gamora threw her hands up into the air, shaking her head furiously, "Now we can't leave!"

"If we don't leave now, we will be blown to bits," Rocket protested.

"No! We're not leaving without the orb," Gamora ordered, crossing her arms.

Galaxy sent the two a glare, "Never mind about the orb. We are _not_ leaving without Peter."

Drax suddenly leaned forwards, his arm reaching out to point a small but fast moving object headed towards them, "Behold."

Galaxy jumped to her feet as she followed the object, a smile forming as she recognized Peter's Ravager clothing. He was wearing a metal mask with red glowing eyes, allowing him to breath in space. His words from earlier, about how she would not be physically able to help him, suddenly made sense, and while she understood, she couldn't help the small flash of jealousy at her brother. He had seen galaxies and planets and aliens, and she had seen the inside of the same ship for twelve years and perhaps the occasional planet. She knew that she wouldn't trade for her brother's experiences, but still...she would have liked to have some of the adventures.

She was pulled forcibly out of her thoughts when there was a loud rapping on the ship's floor. Startled, she looked around until her eyes fell onto a hatch. She ran over to it and pulled it open, allowing her brother to climb in with the help of Gamora. Drax, who had remained far away to watch Gamora and Galaxy, finally made his way over to Peter to give him a hard pat on the shoulder as Peter hit something just behind his ear, making the mask slide off and disappear to the spot he had hit.

"This one shows spirit. He shall make a keen ally in the battle against Ronan," Drax said in a proud voice, "Companion, what were you retrieving?" Still in his hand, Peter held up the Walkman. Drax stared at it for a long moment before he shook his head, "You're an imbecile."

"No he isn't!" Galaxy snapped. She took the Walkman from Peter and held it staring down at it, "I can't believe it still works."

Peter gave her a genuine, if tired, smile, "I think it's your turn."

Galaxy smiled back as she placed the orange headphones over her ears and pressed the play button.

* * *

 **It was a lot of fun writing Drax with Galaxy and Gamora. He's got this really funny rhythm to how he insults them that I enjoyed writing.** **I also really enjoyed writing the parts with Galaxy and Peter. I wanted them to just kinda spring into place and I hope I've achieved that. They have a really sweet bond.**

 **And now...review time:**

 **importchic: Thank you!**

 **See everyone next week!**


	7. Chapter 6

Galaxy sat up slowly, still stiff from the nap she had just woken up from. She could only bare to listen to one of the songs on the Walkman before she handed it back to Peter with a frown. He didn't seem all that shocked that she had already returned it, just checked which track it was and nodded. He had pointed her to the sleeping area, practically ordering her to nap. It was a testament to just how tired she was when she didn't snap at her brother for ordering her about as if he had authority over her. Instead, she simply followed his directions and slipped gratefully into a sleep.

Lifting her wrist up, she frowned down at the time it displayed. It had been _two hours_ since she was last awake. She rarely napped for that long, the only times she could think of was when she had been dreadfully sick, but if that was the case then she would have felt the symptoms already. When she was perfectly healthy she would always wake up after a nap after an hour, even when she desperately wanted to sleep more. Ronan had once locked her in her room and refused to let her out unless she took a nap, but even lock in her room with nothing to do she was still unable to sleep.

Her frown deepened as her thoughts turned to Ronan. He was probably close to arriving at the Kyln and when did arrive, he would except to see her waiting there. He'd be furious with the guards for failing to do their _one_ job, and Galaxy could only wince as she pictured what he would with that anger, but she knew a majority of his rage would only be masking the worry he would feel. After all, Galaxy couldn't even contact him, not with Drax watching her the way he had been earlier. He had stared at the Walkman in her hands as if she might turn it into a bomb. If she even attempted to contact Ronan she knew he would attack.

Wincing at the clear threat, Galaxy got up from her bed and stretched her tired limbs. Ronan would hate for her to sit there and worry about him; he would want her to be with others, be with her _brother._ Her face and mind set, Galaxy marched herself over to the ladder and climbed up of it, pushing the hatch covering the sleeping area up to poke her head out. She was only half surprised to see Rocket destroying parts of the ship by ripping them up brutally.

"Rocket?" Galaxy asked, hurrying to get off the ladder in case he destroyed it next, "What are you doing?"

Rocket motioned to a black box with wires hanging out of it, "What does it look like? I'm building a bomb."

"A what?" Galaxy asked, her voice raising in pitch as she scurried away from the bomb, "Does Peter know?"

In answer to her question, Peter stormed over, staring down at Rocket, "Woh, woh, woh! Yoh, Ranger Rick! What are you doing? You can't take apart my ship without asking me! See - what is this?"

"It's a bomb," Galaxy answered for Rocket, "Don't touch it," she added in case Peter wasn't over his phase of wanting to touch anything that was dangerous or explosive.

Peter rolled his eyes, "I wasn't going to touch it," he grumbled as he took a couple of steps back. He turned back to Rocket, crossing his arms as he addressed the raccoon, "You're leaving that lying around?"

"I was gonna put it in a box," Rocket protested lightly.

"What's a box gonna do?" Peter pointed out.

Choosing not to answer, Rocket took out two identically gift-wrapped boxed, each with a little stick on bow on top. He shook them both lightly, "How about these?"

Peter lunged forwards and snatched the boxes away, all the while protesting, "No! Woh! Hey! Hey! Leave it alone!"

Rocket easily gave the boxes up, watching in amusement as Peter cradled them to his chest, "Why? What is it?"

"Shut up," Galaxy snapped at Rocket. She walked over to Peter and took one of the boxes from him, the one with a pink bow on it. It was a twin to the other one, identical paper and care, but the other one had a silver bow on it, "You never opened them?" She asked softly, purposefully blocking Rocket from looking at them.

"Yondu would have taken it," Peter explained with a shrug.

"He never took the Walkman. How do you even power it?" Galaxy asked. She grabbed the Walkman from Peter and opened the back, frowning as she looked down at two oddly shaped cylinders inside of the battery slots, "What are these?"

"Batteries from the Sovereign. Yondu gave them to me after you…"

"Got sold to Ronan's father," Galaxy finished. She closed the back of the Walkman and handed it back to Peter, "He favored you, you know."

Peter shook his head, frowning at the mere suggestion, "He threatened to have me eaten! He liked you more."

Galaxy's frown twined her brother's as she too shook her head, "He kept you with him and sold me to a warlord!"

Peter crossed his arms, "Did the warlord threaten to eat you?"

"No," Galaxy admitted, "But the selling part is worse."

Peter had to nod at that, "He told me once he thought you'd be safer with them," he said suddenly.

Galaxy frowned, her brow furrowing, "He thought I'd be safer with Ronan's father than with my own brother?" She confirmed, shaking her head at the idea. "Why?"

"You know how some of the men were," Peter pointed out, "Some of the men were just…" he shuddered, "I would hear them arguing with Yondu, about how he was protecting you so much and how-"

Galaxy cut him off by holding up her hand, her face paling, "I understand." She frowned as she crossed her arms, "What happened after I was gone?"

Peter shrugged, "Some men left because they disagreed. Yondu started training me to go on missions with him."

A remembered conversation coming to her suddenly, Galaxy frowned, "Doesn't Yondu have a price on your head?"

Peter did not look pleased, or impressed, at the sudden question, "That doesn't matter," he tried to brush off.

But Galaxy just crossed her arms and gave him her best glare. "Peter," she started in a chastising tone, "If we're about to go out in public somewhere I think it's important that I know why the man who kidnapped us is pissed off!"

Peter huffed, "I stole the orb and didn't give it back to him," he admitted with a shrug, "It's not a big deal."

"Not a big deal?" Galaxy repeated. When Peter nodded, she just shook her head, "We already have the Nova Corps looking for us, we don't need Yondu as well."

"What about your man, Rowrow or-"

"Ronan," Galaxy corrected, "And he's probably the least likely to kill us-"

"Ha!" At Drax's sarcastic laugh, Galaxy closed her eyes, clenched her teeth, and started to count to ten very slowly in her head, "Ronan is a murderer who will stop at nothing to kill every single person in the galaxy."

Her counting failing, Galaxy gritted her teeth, "I am not having this conversation," she said. With a shake of her head, she walked away from Peter, as Drax started to rant about how Ronan, Gamora, and herself were going to kill them all.

Walking over to the front of the ship, she could still hear Drax ranting behind her, she looked around the small area. The ship was on autopilot, allowing to fly itself and leaving Gamora little do but stand by the windows and watch the stars pass them. It was clear to Galaxy, though perhaps it was because she knew her so well, that Gamora wasn't there mentally. She was just standing, staring out at a fixed point in front of her as her mind wandered to other important topics. But even when she was lost in thought, Gamora still knew she was there and noticeably stiffened without Galaxy even announcing herself.

"Where are we headed?" Galaxy asked as she tentatively walked until she was standing next to Gamora.

"Knowhere."

Galaxy frowned, taking the answer as an insult. Gamora had always been one to hold her cards to her chest and not reveal them to anyone except a few people, and Galaxy had always been included in those few people. It stung to see her status in those few people had been revoked, and she didn't know what to reply with besides a soft, "Oh."

"Knowhere is a very filthy place. Ronan would be furious knowing I'm taking you there," Gamora continued with a sharp shake of her head.

Galaxy blinked, clarity dawning on her as she listened to Gamora's words, "It's actually called Knowhere?" she asked.

Gamora nodded, frowning, "Yes – it's an asteroid that is home to some of the worst activities. The people like to call it 'Knowhere' because it doesn't exist anywhere officially."

Galaxy nodded slowly, her brow furrowing at the description Gamora was giving. If it was such a horrible place...then why were they going to it? She was just about to voice her question when she was cut off by a loud ripping noise from behind them. The two turned to see Peter heading towards Rocket yelling, "Hey!" In a clear protest. He had nearly made it in front of the raccoon when he paused, "What is that?" He asked with a point to something Galaxy couldn't see behind the animal.

"That's for if things get really hardcore. Or if you wanna blow up moons," Rocket said with a grin that showed just one too many teeth to not be considered predatory.

Shaking her head, Gamora walked over with Galaxy trailing after her, "No one's blowing up moons," she ordered firmly.

"You just wanna suck the joy out of everything," Rocket complained even as he continued to smile.

Rolling his eyes, Peter turned to Gamora, "So, listen, I'm gonna need your buyer's coordinates."

Gamora crossed her arms, "We're heading in the right direction, for now," she informed him. Giving a pointed look to Galaxy, she walked back to the front of the ship and idly picked up the orb, keeping a possessive hold on it.

"If we're gonna work together, you might want to try trusting me a little bit," Peter suggested as he followed after her with just a hint of an actual frown.

"And how much do you trust me?" Gamora countered, raising an eyebrow.

Peter shrugged. He took the orb out of Gamora's hand and held it, looking at it intently, "My sister trusts you," he pointed out with a slight gesture to Galaxy, "Though I'd trust you a lot more if you told me what this was. Because I'm guessing it's some kind of weapon."

Gamora frowned, "I don't know what it is," she admitted, though by the way she was tensing around it, Galaxy could tell that was a lie, or at least not the full truth. Otherwise, why would she know to be nervous around it?

Nodding to himself, Peter rotated the orb in his hand once before he set it down on the table with minimum force, though it was still enough to make Gamora tense and move away. Galaxy glanced over at Gamora, frowning at the way she eyed the orb in front of her. She had never seen Gamora frightened, scared, yes, especially around her father, but never to this extent.

"If it's a weapon, we should use it against Ronan," Drax said suddenly as he picked up the orb from the table and held it as if he was about to throw it at an imaginary Ronan.

"Put it down, you fool! You'll destroy us all," Gamora snapped at him, taking a small step forwards as if to knock the orb out of Drax's hand.

The move just made Drax grip the object tighter, "Or just you two murderesses!"

"I let you live once, princess!"

"I am not a princess!"

"Hey!" Peter interrupted, standing in between Gamora and Drax, "Nobody is killing anybody on my ship! We're stuck together until we get the money."

Drax frowned and tossed the orb at Peter, who lunged and caught it, "I have no interest in money," Drax said as he walked off into the rest of the ship.

Peter watched him go, frowning slightly before he turned back to the rest of the group with a smile, "Great," he said in a slightly sarcastic tone, "That means more money for the four of us," he finished with less sarcastic bite and a clap of his hands. Nearby, Groot made a noise, which made Peter roll his eyes, "For the five of us," he corrected. "Partners."

Galaxy frowned, "I refuse to take part in selling the orb," she reminded Peter, "I would never do that to-"

"Rowrow, got it," Peter cut off.

Galaxy just closed her eyes and pinched at her nose, "It's Ronan," she corrected in a very slow, very controlled voice. She looked at her brother and sighed as she saw the grin he was wearing at the level of annoyance he was bringing her.

Giving his sister a slight smirk, Peter turned to Gamora, who was just watching the siblings interact with an odd look on her face. It took her a second to notice Peter's attention on her, "We have an agreement, but I would never be partners with the likes of you. I'll tell the buyer we're on our way," she sniffed and looked around at the rest of the ship, "And Quill, your ship is filthy," Shaking her head, she walked off to the stairs and Galaxy, with a shrug, followed her.

* * *

 **The Kyln**

Ronan glared at the guard before him, thoroughly disgusted at the information he had gotten. The Kyln was a prison; it had one job and it had somehow failed! This was supposed to be the Nova Corps' high-security prison, and while he had figured it would be incompetent, he was facing a level he had not ever expected. How does _anyone_ prison fail at keeping their prisoners?

His rage building, Ronan slammed the end of his war hammer down on the ground of the prison, making the guard in front of him flinch and pull himself in a tight ball, "I swear, I don't know where they went! I swear!" He whimpered.

Ronan crossed his arms. He believed the man, only someone completely stupid would dare to lie when there was an angry person with a weapon in front him, but that didn't mean he couldn't make the man squirm a bit. He knew Galaxy wouldn't agree with that, but Galaxy _wasn't there,_ and that was the entire reason why he wanted to make the man squirm; after all, it would only be a fraction of the fear for Galaxy's safety that he was feeling.

"Are you sure?" He asked, taking a step closer to the whimpering man, "Because if you're not-"

"Ronan, the Nova Corps have sent a fleet to defend the prison," Nebula warned as she walked over, not even pausing at the sight in front of her.

Ronan turned, the guard in front of him momentarily forgotten, "Well, then, send Necrocraft to every corner of the quadrant. Find the orb," he swallowed hard and then shook his head,"Find _her_ first. By any means, any price."

Nebula nodded, her arms crossed behind her, "And this place?"

"The Nova can't know who or what we're after," Ronan said slowly, wincing as he realized their only course of action, "Cleanse their minds."

Galaxy would hate it, and so did Ronan, but if they didn't wipe the minds of everyone they had encountered then the orb and Galaxy would be in great risk. As much as he hated to disappoint her, he would never risk her safety. At least this way they weren't all dead. The only harm would be their mind's erased of any memory of them. They would wake up without realizing anything was wrong; the records, of course, would have to fixed as well, but that was a small price to pay if it meant everyone would live.

* * *

"Heads up! We're inbound," Rocket yelled from the front of the ship.

The shout made Galaxy, Gamora, Groot, Drax, and Peter all join with Rocket to watch as the ship flew slowly towards Knowhere, which, Galaxy realized with a hard swallow, looked like a giant severed-head.

"Woh," Peter breathed out, leaning forwards.

"What is it?" Drax asked, actually not sounding enraged for once.

"It's called Knowhere. The severed head of an ancient celestial being. Be wary headed in, rodent. There are no regulations whatsoever here," Gamora warned, her eyes not on Rocket but to the front of the ship as they drew closer and closer to the giant head.

Nodding to himself, Rocket slowly and very carefully flew the ship under Gamora's instructions. Galaxy looked out the window with an odd mixture of awe and disgust as they flew through one of the eyes to reach an area clearly dedicated to mining. Rocket carefully landed the ship and they all headed out, though they all paused before stepping onto the ground. It was spongy, a feeling that made Galaxy swallow hard.

"Hundreds of years ago, the Tivan Group sent workers in to mine the organic matter within the skull. The bone, brain tissue, spinal fluid. All rare resources, highly valued in black markets across the galaxy. It's dangerous and illegal work, suitable only for outlaws," Gamora explained, crossing her arms as she looked at their surroundings

Peter just smirked and nudged Galaxy, "Well, we come from a planet of outlaws. Billy the Kid, Bonnie and Clyde and John Stamos," he said playfully. They had always loved shows about outlaws and had watched each and every one faithfully. If it had been any other place, Galaxy would have smiled and countered, but this was Knowhere, and all Galaxy could muster was a weak smile at the childhood memory.

"It sounds like a place which I would like to visit," Drax said, somehow managing to sound happy while glaring at Galaxy – likely because she had been mentioned in conjunction to something Drax liked.

Peter, choosing to the ignore the glaring, just wrapped his arm around Galaxy and gave Drax a wide smile, "Yeah, you should," he agreed, making Galaxy snort at the idea of Drax walking around on Earth.

Gamora started to walk off, and the rest of the group followed, the twins taking the back. Out of nowhere, a group of dirty-faced children surrounded them, "Excuse me," the one directly in front of them said.

"Watch your wallets," Peter warned to Galaxy and the rest of the group even as the kid asked, "Can you spare any units?"

"Get out of here," Rocket snapped at the kids.

Like pins, they went flying, disappearing to the edges once more. One of them, however, lingered to look up at Groot with wide eyes. Kneeling down, Groot held out his hand and grew a flower which he plucked and gave to her. He rejoined the group, the action going almost completely unnoticed had it not been for Galaxy turning to see it.

The group continued to walk until a tall building, clearly a bar, came into their view. They were headed towards it, making even Rocket pause and curl his snout in distaste, "Your buyer's in there?"

"We are to wait here for his representative," Gamora answered, frowning at the building as well.

The door was kicked open as a bouncer dragged a yelling man out, "Get out of here!" The bouncer yelled, shoving the other man hard.

"This is no respectable establishment. What do you expect us to do while we wait?" Drax asked, crossing his arms.

* * *

Drax, Rocket, and somehow, Groot found a way to spend their time while they waited – excessively drinking. They had all split up in the bar, Peter going to refuel his ship, the three idiots went to the bar and then the bidding table, and Galaxy and Gamora went outside to the balcony.

"He's probably already gone through the Kyln," Galaxy guessed out loud as she looked out at the stars, her mind on Ronan, "He won't be happy with them."

Gamora nodded, "I'm sure he'll be furious."

"And worried," Galaxy added on, biting her lip.

Gamora crossed her arms, "How come you mean so much to him?"

Galaxy didn't answer for a long time, allowing a silence that was very present to grow between the two. Finally, she answered, "It's because of how Krees are. They're very violent in every aspect of life except for with the person they've Chosen," she chanced a look over to Gamora, who was looking at her intently, her face unreadable. Taking a deep breath, she continued on, "Generally two Kree meet each other through their parents and later become Chosens at their parents' pushing. Ronan's father decided to do the same with him and me."

"It's an arranged parnership?" Gamora asked, frowning.

Galaxy nodded, "But then Ronan rose through the Kree ranks and became an Accuser. His father pushed for him to marry another Kree but he refused. The Kree in general are very proud, and they already saw my existence on their planet as an insult, but Ronan's refusal was the last straw. We had to flee and Ronan took his father ship."

"You went willingly?"

"Of course! It was either die or go with Ronan," Galaxy crossed her arms almost defensively before she sighed and shook her head, "When word got back that the Nova Corps had killed his father in the war, he was outraged even with the split between them. He wanted to sign up and fight so badly, but he didn't want to leave me in a ship waiting for him to come back. I think he would have been happy letting the war run its course, but when the Kree and the Nova Corps ended the fighting with their peace treaty, he went back to protest the decision."

"And that didn't go well," Gamora stated bluntly.

Galaxy sighed and nodded, "He killed his first Nova that night."

She turned away from Gamora took look back out at the stars. She could still remember that night so clearly…the way Ronan had smiled with the other Krees around him, chanting him on as he picked up his father's war hammer. He had paused and had ordered her to draw forwards and she had obeyed, frightened of what might happen if she didn't. He had smiled at her as he told her that what was about to happen was good and right and...

There was a loud cough behind her, making her jump and turn to see her brother, frowning at her, "You alright?" He asked, taking a step towards her, "You look pale."

Galaxy nodded rapidly, "Fine," she muttered, trying to give him a smile, "How did fueling go?"

Clearly not fully convinced, Peter glanced at his sister as he walked over so that he was on the left side of Galaxy, "You wouldn't believe what they charge for fuel out here," he informed her with a shake of his head, "I might actually lose money on this job."

Galaxy gave her brother a comforting pat on his arm, "How long did it take you to fill up your ship?"

"About twenty minutes, why?"

Galaxy just nodded to Gamora in answer. The green-skinned woman shook her head with a frustrated sigh, "My connection is making us wait."

Peter shrugged, "It's just a negotiation tactic. Trust me, this is my specialty. Where yours is more, 'Stab, stab. Those are my term,'" while Gamora grinned, Peter turned to Galaxy, "What's your tactic?"

Galaxy smiled, "Kick and then run until Ronan can deal with them," she said fondly.

Peter frowned at her, "So how serious are you and this Ronan guy? Do I need to give him the 'older brother talk.'"

Galaxy shrugged lightly, "You can if you want to. I think he'll just laugh it off," she suggested as she leaned over land grabbed the Walkman from Peter. When he reached for it, she slapped his hand "It's my turn."

Sighing, Peter shook his head, turning as Galaxy placed the headphones on and pressed the play button. Gamora, who had been watching them speak, frowned at the Walkman, "Why would you risk your life for that?"

Peter had to swallowed hard before he was able to answer, "My mother gave it to Galaxy and me. My mom liked to share with us all the pop songs that she loved growing up. I happened to have it on me when we were...the day that she...You know, when we left Earth."

He was surprised that Gamora didn't laugh at him, "My father did not do the same," she said with a bitter smile.

"Thanos?" Peter asked, his brow furrowing.

"He's not my father," Gamora corrected with a snap in her voice, "When Thanos took my home world, he killed my parents in front of me. He tortured me, turned me into a weapon. I thought Ronan would be different but when he said he was going to destroy an entire planet for Ronan, I...I couldn't stand by and..." her voice trailed off as she shook her head.

"Does Galaxy know?" Peter asked, lowing his voice as he risked a glance behind him to see his sister oblivious to the conversation he was having.

Gamora frowned, "I don't know," she admitted, "I believe he might be trying to hide from her so she can't stop him."

Frowning, deeply, Peter crossed his arms. He didn't talk for a long time, not until Gamora broke the silence by gesturing to the Walkman in Galaxy's hand, "What do you do with it?"

Peter shrugged, "Do? Nothing. You listen to it. Or you can dance."

Gamora stiffened, "I'm a warrior and an assassin. I do not dance," she said in a very formal, very strict voice.

Peter arched an eyebrow, "Really? Well, on my planet, there's a legend about people like you. It's called _Footloose."_

"Galaxy has never mentioned this lesson," Gamora said with a frown.

Peter crossed his arms and huffed, "She never liked Kevin Bacon," he muttered more to himself than to Gamora, "Anyways, in this legend a great hero named Kevin Bacon, teaches an entire city full of people with sticks up their butts that dancing, well...it's the greatest thing there is."

"Who put the sticks up their butts?" Gamora asked, her eyes wide at the mere thought.

Peter blinked, "What? No, that's just a..." he tried to remedy.

"That is cruel," Gamora said with a shake of her head.

"It's just a phrase people use," Peter corrected. He sighed and tapped Galaxy on the shoulder, motioning for her to take off the headphones. With a frown she did.

"I was actually enjoying that," Galaxy protested lightly even as she handed the Walkman over easily.

Rolling his eyes, he handed the Walkman to Gamora. He watched as she careful placed the headphone on her head. Leaning forwards he pressed the play button.

Galaxy frowned lightly at the intimate scene. She knew Gamora had mentioned that Peter had a reputation, which had then be backed by his own words when he was trying to calm down Drax. She crossed her arms and arched her brow, making Peter roll his eyes at her. Shaking her head, she headed back into the bar, looking around for the others.

Unsurprisingly, they were still betting on the races and drinking heavily. Galaxy just watched them idly, not truly paying attention until she heard Drax say to Rocket in a loud, clearly angry voice, "You do not know what you're speaking about, vermin!"

Rocket attacked Drax, lunging at him with claws outstretched. Groot quickly joined him, swatting at Drax with little twigs whenever Rocket was thrown to the floor.

Galaxy hurried over, trying to grab Rocket before he could leap at Drax again. Instead her hands got hit by Groot, the twigs burning and making her hold onto her the palms of her hands, "Seriously?" She snapped at Groot, who just shrugged as he walked over to Drax to give him the same twig-lashing.

Glaring, she gently touched one of her palms and winced. There was nothing she could do, which meant she was more than grateful when Peter and Gamora entered the fight and were able to break the men apart, Gamora literally dragging an enraged Drax off of Groot.

"Stop it!" She yelled over to Rocket. Ignoring her, Rocket took out his blaster and pointed it at Drax, about the fire at the man.

"Woh! Woh! What are you doing?" Peter intervened, looking like he was about to tackle Rocket.

"This vermin speaks of affairs he knows nothing about!" Drax yelled, glaring at Rocket.

"That is true!" Rocket yelled back.

"He has no respect!" Drax continued.

"That is also true!"

As Rocket started to mess with his blaster, Peter quickly shouted, "Hold on! Hold on!"

Rocket glared at him, actually starting to sniffle as if he was about to cry, "Keep calling me vermin, tough guy! You just wanna laugh at me like everyone else!"

Galaxy stepped next to her brother, crossing her arms, "You're just drunk. No one is laughing at you," she corrected bluntly.

Rocket shook his head, "He thinks I'm some stupid thing! He does! Well, I didn't ask to get made! I didn't ask to be torn apart, and put back together, over and over and turned into some...some little monster!"

"Rocket, no one's calling you a monster," Peter said in a soft voice, his expression morphing from frustration and annoyance to pity.

"He called me vermin! She called me rodent! Let's see if you can laugh after five or six good shots to your frickin' face!" As Rocket made to shoot Drax once more, Peter jumped in front of the blaster, trying to make himself as big and tall as possible to effectively block Drax.

"No, no, no, no! Four billion units! Rocket! Come on, man. Hey! Suck it up for one more lousy night and you're rich," Peter said.

For a long moment, Rocket stared down at his blaster. Finally, he sighed and placed the gun back in its rightful place, "Fine. But I can't promise when all this is over I'm not gonna kill every last one of you jerks."

Peter threw up his arms in exasperation, "See? That's exactly why none of you have any friends! Five seconds after you meet somebody, you're already trying to kill them!"

Removing himself from Gamora's grip, Drax shook himself off and glared at the group, "We have traveled halfway across the quadrant, and Ronan is no closer to being dead," and with that final parting statement and his seeding of two very vicious glares to Gamora and Galaxy, Drax turned and stormed out.

Peter turned, as if to call after the man, but Galaxy quickly placed a hand on his arm, "Don't," she said, shaking her head when he turned to her, "He won't help with actually selling the orb."

The now five-some grouped together, looking around at the bar. It was still in full swing, as if their fight had never happened. No one was paying any attention to them, which meant no one saw the pale pink female alien approach them, though she stood out in her white outfit.

"Milady Gamora, I'm here to fetch you for my master." She called to Gamora in a light, airy voice.

Gamora turned and then, after assessing the alien in front of them, nodded. When the alien turned and started to leave the bar, Gamora followed her. The others looked at each other briefly before they too followed.

* * *

 **I am so sorry this is later than usual! I have finals coming up and I had to hunker down and study instead of editing through the week like I usually do. I also got a horrible cold on Wednesday so I've been struggling with that as well.**

 **As for this chapter, it's a bridge chapter. I know it's not super interesting because nothing is happening, but the next chapter more than makes up for it!**

 **And now...review time:**

 **elljayde: I'm glad you liked Ronan's POV. There will be some changes to the movie, but I can't promise whether Galaxy and Ronan get a happy ending.**

 **monkeybaby: Thank you!**

 **importchic: I'm glad you liked it!**


	8. Chapter 7

Gamora, Galaxy, Groot, Peter, and Rocket followed the female alien to their seller's holding – though holding really wasn't an appropriate name. Galaxy would have called it a zoo. It had the same smell as the one she and Peter had gone to as children. Just like at a zoo, there were exhibits, cages really, around them. But unlike the exotic animals Galaxy remembered, these cages held different alien species. Some were just sitting there, gazing out of their glass cage without expression or even awareness of their arrivals. Others jumped to their feet and made a rush for the glass only to be stopped by chains or painful shocks. The majority stayed seated, watching them with hungry eyes.

Unable too look at them any longer, Galaxy looked over at her brother. He was taking in the zoo in the same way Galaxy had, a mixture of awe and disgust on his face.

"Okay, this isn't creepy at all," Rocket said, his sarcastic voice bouncing off the cages and amplifying it, making it echo around them.

"We house the galaxy's largest collection of fauna, relics, and species of all manner," the pink alien said proudly. She paused to push a button, opening the doors to let them into a room with more cages – though these had mainly humanoid aliens in them. In the center, behind a desk, a man with eccentric white hair stood, an oily smile flirting across his lips when they arrived, "I present to you, Taneleer Tivan, the Collector," the female alien said in an awed voice before she walked away, her head bowed as she situated herself near a cage in the back that Galaxy could see held a very similar alien inside of it; the alien was watching the situation mournfully and twitched when the pink alien walked next to her, looking up from her chains to see the girl. The sight made Galaxy sick.

Gamora walked over to the Collector with bold, powerful steps that the Collector matched, making the two meet in the middle, "Oh, my dear Gamora. How wonderful to meet in the flesh," he greeted. Picking up one of her hands, he brushed his lips across it.

"Let's bypass the formalities, Tivan," Gamora said in a steely tone, her hand falling limply from his, "We have what we discussed."

But the Collector was not paying attention. He had, instead, turned his gaze to Groot, who was gawking around behind Rocket, "What is that thing there?"

"I am Groot," Groot responded proudly.

The Collector gaped at Groot, his eyes widening, "I never thought I'd meet a Groot. Sir, you must allow me to pay you now so that I may own your carcass. At the moment of your death, of course."

"I am Groot," Groot replied.

Rocket sent Groot a glare and rolled his eyes, "Why, so he could turn you into a frickin' chair?"

Raising an eyebrow at Rocket, the Collector turned to Groot, "That's your pet?"

Enraged, Rocket was already reaching for his gun as he snapped at the Collector, "His what?!"

Though the Collector just chuckled at the open threat, Gamora still stepped in, pulling the man's attention to herself once more, "Tivan, we have been halfway around the galaxy, retrieving this orb," she reminded him in a firm voice.

Nodding, the Collector turned away from Groot, "Very well, then. Let us see what you brought."

Gamora looked over to Peter, who glanced briefly over at Galaxy to give her an apologetic smile as he made to hand the orb off, only for it to fumble and drop to the ground. He winced as he bent down and picked it up to show it to the Collector once more. He smoothly took the orb from Peter and walked over to behind a desk, giving the group little choice but to follow him. Galaxy couldn't help but frown when the Collector stroke the orb in an almost lover-like fashion, "Oh, my new friends. Before creation itself, there were six singularities," he explained. He placed the orb in a middle of a machine, which started to twist it slowly apart, giving the Collector ample time to continue talking, "Then the universe exploded into existence, and the remnants of these systems were forged into concentrated ingots. Infinity Stones. These stones, it seems, can only be brandished by beings of extraordinary strength. Observe," He nodded to a video, which started to play clips of people doing horrible things while their weapons or hands were encased with glowing lights of purples and greens and blues, "These carriers can use the stone to mow down entire civilizations like wheat in a field," the Collector said rather proudly.

Peter winced and stepped towards Galaxy in a protective way, a move Galaxy refused to admit she appreciated, "There's a little pee coming out of me right now," he admitted in a shaky voice.

"Once, for a moment, a group was able to share the energy amongst themselves, but even they were quickly destroyed by it," the Collector continued, completely ignoring Peter as the clip of a group of people in ceremonial grab all holding hands as they were ripped apart by a purple light backed up his statement.

The room was bathed in the same purple light as the clips as the machine finished pulling the orb apart, revealing a stone bathed in purple light. Galaxy took a step forwards, fascinated by it. Around her, the others did the same…except for Rocket, "Blah, blah, blah. We're all very fascinated, whitey. But we'd like to get paid," he snapped, crossing his arms as he glared up at the Collector.

"How would you like to get paid?" The Collector asked lightly.

Rocket rolled his eyes, "What do you think, fancy man? Units!"

"Very well, then." The Collector turned away to go and get the units while the others all stepped back to join Rocket.

No on truly noticed anything amiss when the Collector ordered Carina, the pink alien, to stand back, though Gamora did look up to watch the woman briefly before she turned her gaze back to the collection of animals around them. Galaxy just figured that she was fascinated by the orb they had been. But then something went very, very wrong. Carina started to run towards the stone, her fast footsteps causing everyone to turn to her. The Collector, who had been looking at her all along, couldn't seem to react fast enough as the woman shouted, "I will no longer be your slave!"

Just as the Collector yelled, "No," Carina grabbed the stone. Instantaneously, she and the room around them exploded in a wave of purple light that was seared into Galaxy's eyes. She felt Peter grab her and pull her under a table, holding her as close to him as possible. She was vaguely aware of Gamora on her other side, grabbing her hand tightly as the room was destroyed around them.

They only emerged when the room around them was no longer shaking. The destruction they saw when they emerged made them gape in horror. There were dark purple burn marks where Carina and the Collector had been standing, and the cages were all shattered with the same dark purple marks inside or frightened humanoids too scared to do anything but look on with wide eyes.

Gamora was the first to recover from the sight. She sprinted over to the orb and closed it, sealing the Infinity Stone once more, leaving the twins to only stare at each other, "What the fff...?" Peter asked, his voice trailing off as he looked over at Galaxy as if she had any answers.

No one answered him. No one _could_ answer him. Instead, the trio walked out in silence. It was only when they were outside did Gamora speak, "How could I think Tivan could contain whatever was within the orb?" She snapped in frustration, shaking her head at herself.

Rocket and Groot, seeing them emerge, rushed over to them, though Rocket hung back when he caught sight of the orb in Gamora's hand, "What do you still have it for?" He asked.

Peter crossed his arms, "Well what are we gonna do, leave it in there?" He protested.

"I can't believe you had that in your purse!" Rocket cried out, turning to Peter.

"It's not a purse, it's a knapsack!"

Ignoring their fighting, Gamora turned to Galaxy, "We have to bring this to the Nova Corps. There's a chance they can contain it."

Galaxy bit her lip and crossed her arms, unsure of how to respond. She didn't want that stone _anywhere_ near Ronan or herself, but she feared the wrath of Thanos far more. It came as a gift when Rocket saved her from saying anything by protesting loudly, "Are you kidding me? We're wanted by the Nova Corps! Just give it to Ronan!"

"So he can destroy the galaxy?" Peter snapped.

"I would be able to make sure he didn't," Galaxy pointed out. When Peter turned her, incredulous, she frowned at him, "You have never met Ronan, Peter," she reminded.

"But I have," Gamora cut in, "Galaxy, while I know Ronan would listen to you what happens if there's someone _you_ want to destroy? Ronan would do anything for you, including destroying the galaxy if you asked," seeing that Galaxy was about to protest, Gamora turned to Peter, "We have to go back to your ship and deliver the stone to Nova."

Peter nodded slowly, pretending to not see Galaxy's face fall at his agreement, "Right, right, okay. I think you're right. Or we could give it to somebody who's not going to arrest us, who's really nice for a whole lot of money. I think it's a really good balance between both of your points of view."

"You're despicable," Gamora spat, shaking her head.

"I…" Peter started to say, trying to come up with an argument against what Gamora had said.

"Dishonorable. Faithless!" Shaking her head, she turned and started to walk off, only for her to look up and stop in the middle of stride, her eyes fixed on the ships descending "Oh, no," she said with shake of her head. She turned on her heel to glare at Galaxy.,"How could you?!"

"I don't have anyway to call him!" Galaxy protesting with a motion to the ships.

Ronan had caught up with them at last, and judging by the fighter ships around his, he was not happy about the entire situation. Even though Galaxy had missed Ronan, she knew that this was _not_ a good time for him to be here. Not with Gamora betraying him and Drax's want to kill him...it was a nightmare waiting to happen.

She frowned, looking around at their group, which was minus a crazy person, "Peter, where's Drax?" She asked slowly.

Peter looked around as well, a frown forming as he realized that Drax had not been waiting for them outside, "You don't think-" he started, only to be caught off by an all too familiar cry.

"At last! I shall meet my foe and destroy him."

"You called Ronan?" Peter snapped, glaring at Drax as the man sprinted towards Ronan's ships.

As the ships from Ronan landed, yet another familiar voice rang out, "Quill! Don't you move, boy!"

"Yondu?" Galaxy asked Peter, turning to see the blue-skinned man with a group of Ravagers behind him.

Peter could only nod. He glanced at Gamora, who was already tensing to run and then to Galaxy, "We should go," he suggested.

Glancing between Yondu and Ronan's ship, Galaxy ran with her brother and Gamora, trusting that Ronan could quickly deal with Drax.

* * *

Galaxy, Gamora, Peter, Groot, and Rocket were breathing hard by the time they reached the mining pods. Gamora and Peter easily got into one while Galaxy frowned, her brow furrowing, "I don't know how to fly," she admitted.

Peter gaped at her, "Twelve-odd years and you don't know how to _fly?"_ He asked. Galaxy nodded slowly, making Peter look at the controls and shake his head, "These aren't simple," he warned.

Very slowly, she looked back the way they came, Yondu wouldn't recognize me," she said in a soft voice, "Plus Drax…"

Peter started to get up from his ship, realizing what Galaxy was doing, "You can't!" He protested.

But she did. She turned away from Peter and started to run back the way they had come. Peter made to go after her, but Gamora yelled over to him, "We've got to go!" Shaking his head, Peter sat down in the ship and closed it, taking flight along with Gamora and Rocket.

* * *

Galaxy was able to easily dodge the Ravagers and made it back to Ronan just in time to see Drax try to knife him, "Drax no!" Galaxy called, running towards the battle even as Ronan dodged the knife.

Ronan looked up at her voice, his eyes widening a fraction. He made a small gesture with his hand – to anyone else it would have looked like he was flexing, but to Galaxy the meaning behind it was clear. He had gestured behind him, at his ship, in a clear order to go inside it. But Galaxy couldn't, even if she wanted to. Drax had heard her yell and had turned his glare and anger to her, "You still side with him?" He yelled, just before he started to charge towards him.

Galaxy stared at him, "Seriously?!" When that did nothing to deter Drax, Galaxy started to sprint to the side towards Ronan. If she could just get behind him...She felt Drax hit her hard and she landed with a rasping noise as all the air was pushed from her lungs. She tried to get up, but then Drax hit her head with the hilt of his knife and she slipped away into a welcoming darkness.

* * *

 **I hope this chapter more than made up for my less than interesting one before. We got the Collector, then the explosion, and the grand meet up.**

 **I also hope my action scenes weren't super choppy. It's really hard writing "they're running" in different ways. I think it's easier to kinda skip past them and then write a previously on blurb before I get into what happens after.**

 **That's kind of it. This chapter is pretty short, but a lot did happen, so I hope that makes up for the length.**

 **And now...review time:**

 **monkeybaby: Thank you! I am so glad school is over and I don't have to deal with it. I have a pretty busy June though, which sucks.**

 **I'll see you guys next week!**


	9. Chapter 8

Galaxy woke with a low groan, her eyes flickering open only to squeeze tightly shut once more from the too bright, artificial light shining down at her. Her head felt like a fly was pounding against her temple; the pain made her grind her teeth. It took several minutes for her to crack her eyes open again to take in her surroundings. Despite the pain she was feeling, she couldn't help but smile at the sight of the familiar dark blue walls encased around her. She was in Ronan's room; she was _home._

Home, to Galaxy, was Ronan's ship. It had first been a prison she longed to escape, but as her relationship with Ronan grew, it became a place she could enjoy, and when Ronan's father left, she started to consider the ship home. Even when Ronan had started to kill others, she couldn't shake how she felt about the place. It made her feel safe and protected from their enemies, though part of that feeling was because of Ronan.

With a slight smile, she rolled slowly to look next her, already knowing what she would see. Curled up above the covers, was Ronan. His eyes were closed and his breathing slow and methodical as he slept. It was a sight she had seen before when she had become sick and Ronan had stayed up the entire night watching her until her fever went down.

She stayed curled up in the sheets, her eyes lazily closing only to open once more as she fought off sleep. It took effort for her to get up from the bed, all the while pausing to make sure she hadn't made Ronan wake up, and walk into the adjoining bathroom. The cream-colored room was rather plain, but luxurious. It had a giant bathtub and a large shower for her to choose from. Pausing as she took in the bathtub, she shook her head and headed over to the shower and turned it on. The bathtub was closer to the bathroom door and was much too loud for her to start without Ronan waking up. The shower, though, the shower would be quiet enough for her to use it without worry.

As the steam filled the room, Galaxy took off her clothes and stepped into the shower, her eyes closing as the warm water hit her body. She hadn't taken a shower since before she had left the ship...she paused at that. So much had happened since she had first left it felt like a lifetime ago. Gamora hadn't been a traitor, and she hadn't seen the power of an infinity stone.

Though the water hitting her was warm, Galaxy shivered at the remembered purple light and the shaking and the feel of Peter's arms around her as he held her tightly. It had been more than horrifying to see the aftermath of the building, or smell the burnt remains of the all the creatures that had been vaporized from the stone. A stone Ronan had wanted.

She swallowed hard against the bile rising in her throat. She remembered what had happened after the stone had been used; Gamora had grabbed it, they had argued over what to do with it, and then Ronan and Yondu had arrived thanks to Drax. Galaxy had tried to go with her brother and Gamora and Rocket, but she had changed and gone to Ronan, only for Drax to knock her out. The infinity stone had been with Gamora, but because of Drax she didn't know if that was the case anymore.

The idea of the infinity stone on the ship with her and Ronan made her shiver once again. If it was there, she _had_ to make sure Ronan never gave it to Thanos as their deal had required. The idea of Ronan having the stone made her terrified the same way the idea of Peter or Gamora or Xandar or _anyone_ having it did, but the idea of Thanos having the stone made such a fear rise in her that it left her knees weak and her hands gripping to the wall of the shower to stand.

After she was done with her shower, Galaxy would talk to Ronan about the stone and, though the idea made her scared, she would bring up the idea of breaking their deal with Thanos and hiding the infinity stone somewhere else; Xandar, perhaps, or another planet that would never think of using it.

* * *

Once she had finished her shower and dressed in a dark blue shirt, black jeans, and a pair of black shoes, Galaxy walked down the corridors of the Dark Aster. Ronan had woken up while she was showering and had left a note telling her that he was in the throne room; her current destination. The ship was humming underneath her feet as it moved through space, a familiar noise she hadn't heard the ship without. Everything about the Dark Aster seemed the same as when Galaxy had left it; everything, that is, except for one person.

Galaxy paused and looked at the door to Gamora's room. It was nondescript and covered in a dark paneling like all the other doors were. Lightly, she reached out and felt the cool, metallic surface. At her touch, the door slid open and Galaxy, glancing around the hallway to make sure no one was watching her, stepped inside. Behind her, the door slid shut seamlessly, as if it had never been opened in the first place.

Gamora had never decorated her room. The lights, which turned on with motion, were set to the lowest setting possible, casting shadows that loomed out from the corners. On the bedside table, a hologram, silver ball was set. When Galaxy picked it up, she made a face at the grimy layer of dust it was coated in. Hologram balls had been the first technology Galaxy had learned to use with moderate skill. It could produce a TV or music or act as a communicator.

Placing the ball back onto the table, Galaxy sat down on the impeccably neat bed. Its sheets were pulled so taunt that when she sat down on it, they hardly twitched, let alone pulled from their tucked in position. For a moment, Galaxy tried to imagine herself as Gamora. She closed her eyes, trying to feel what Gamora would have felt in this room. All she could feel was a deep feeling of isolation. The room was near to Nebula's and the main part of the ship, but inside it felt cut off and sterile.

She crossed her arms as her mind turned to Gamora's behavior. She had had to plan it far in advance, likely staring from when she had first been given to Ronan. After all, there were so many steps. She would have had to find a buyer, contact the buyer, and assess whether the buyer would be able to pay for the orb. Then she would have had to find a way to get the orb. Before Peter had taken it, all those tasks had been neatly checked off. By the time Galaxy or Ronan or Nebula would have realized what Gamora had done, it would have been far too late and the green-skinned woman would have disappeared and _they_ would have faced the wrath of Thanos.

Galaxy could understand why Gamora had betrayed Ronan. But the more she thought about Gamora's actions, the more they made her angry. She would have known how Thanos would react to her's and the orb's disappearance, yet she had planned to condemn _all_ of them in her want to escape. She probably wouldn't have given them a warning, likely too scared they would stop her. Without a warning, they would not know to protect themselves from Thanos until it was far too late and he had arrived with the rest of their children and killed half of their ship.

She jumped, forcibly pulled out of her thoughts as the door slid open once more. Turning her head, Galaxy took in the only other person who would think about coming into Gamora's room: Nebula, Gamora's sister. Nebula had always been standoffish towards everyone else, but Galaxy had seen how she would look at her sister when she thought no one else was watching. It was clear Nebula wanted to be closer with her sister, but age-old hurts Galaxy would never understand stopped the two from having any sort of bond.

She tried to give Nebula a smile, but it was small and weak. In response, Nebula stiffened and pressed against the wall next to her, keeping as much space as possible between herself and Galaxy, "Thanos would like to speak to Ronan, and Ronan would like you there," she informed.

Galaxy frowned at the message; she had been expecting it, Thanos surely would have heard of the fight on Knowhere, but it was still troubling to know that the titan was able to keep tabs on them. It was like they could never escape them, and if she felt like that without ever really meeting Thanos, then she couldn't image how Nebula felt about Thanos watching them.

The thought alone made her ask, "Are you alright?"

Nebula crossed her arms and looked down, "I am fine," she dismissed. Stiffening even more, though this time in anger rather than being uncomfortable, Nebula looked up so she could give Galaxy a fiercely proud look, "I am not going to betray you like _she_ did."

"I wouldn't blame you," Galaxy said with a shrug, "You have every right to betray Thanos, which would mean betraying us."

Though her words must have come as a shock to her, Nebula did not display any emotion other than anger, an anger that was not directed at Galaxy but rather at someone who was far across the galaxy, "There are ways to only do one. Gamora did not see that in her _pride,"_ Nebula spat the last word, her mechanical voice cracking with emotion. She turned away from Galaxy to look at the room around them, taking it all in before she shook her head in clear disgust, "I will do what Gamora failed to do; I will remain loyal to Ronan while getting my revenge on Thanos," she turned back to Galaxy and gave the woman a stiff nod, "I will go inform Ronan of Thanos' call."

Before Galaxy could reply, Nebula stalked out of the room, leaving the brunette to frown after her. She thought about following her, but instead her eyes fell to the orb once more. She picked it up and rotated it slowly, her reflection appearing as distant as her mind. She could understand Nebula's emotions; she felt them about her brother as well. He hadn't trusted her about Ronan to the point where she was sure if there was point where it came down between allowing Ronan to keep the orb or ruining their relationship, she knew Peter would pick the former. The worst part was, as Galaxy thought about it, she realized that she would help Ronan over Peter.

It made a bitter sadness rise up inside of her. What had happened to her relationship with her brother? Had they really grown apart so much that they would allow themselves to be enemies on separate sides? She knew the answer to that question already, she did not have to muse on it, but she still asked it to herself. She desperately hoped she and Peter could have a relationship, but as she got to her feet to meet with Ronan before the call with Thanos so they could discuss what to do with the stone, Galaxy knew that with each step she took towards Ronan, her relationship with Peter drifted further and further away.

Unless Ronan gave up the stone to somewhere netural but with enough arms to protect it, like Xandar, Galaxy would have to resign herself to a nonexistent relationship with Peter, and there was no way Ronan would agree to such a trade...would he?

* * *

Galaxy stood off screen, her eyes firmly on Ronan as he placed a call to Thanos. Nebula stood next her, her arms crossed as she rolled her eyes, "Your anxiety is unneeded," she muttered.

Galaxy rubbed at her arms and swallowed hard, "Considering what Ronan is doing, I think it is fully needed."

The call connected with a click that echoed through the room. Despite how simple the noise was, it still put the brunette even more on edge and tensed. She watched as Ronan took a respectful stance, head tilted slightly down in submission, as he addressed Thanos, "The orb is in my possession, as I promised," he nodded to Korath who held up the orb for Thanos to see.

"Bring it to me," Thanos commanded.

"Yes, that was our agreement," Ronan started out slowly. Holding out his hand, Korath approached and deposited the orb it was in, allow Ronan to roll it around slowly, "'Bring you the orb, and you will deal Xandar for me,'" he quoted, "However, now that I know it contains an Infinity Stone, I wonder what use I have for you."

Galaxy could hear the rumble from Thanos as he likely leaned forwards in his rock chair. With the way the screen was set up, the action would cause Thanos to tour over Ronan; Thanos knew that, making the movement less casual and more dominating, "Boy, I would reconsider your current course," Thanos ground out even as Ronan opened the orb to look down at the Infinity Stone inside of it. As soon as it opened, the familiar purple light bathed Ronan. Off to the side, Galaxy felt sick, backing up from the vibrating power she could feel from the stone.

"You cannot! Thanos is the most powerful being in the universe," Korath gasped in sudden warning. He took a hesitant step towards Ronan, as if to knock the stone away, but a look from Ronan made him back down.

"Not anymore," Ronan corrected as he picked up the Infinity Stone. Just like before, the room was bathed in a destructive energy that made Galaxy shiver in remembered fear. But this time, the energy was controlled by someone stronger, someone who was able to focus through the energy. His eyes alight with the purple energy, Ronan pushed the stone into his war hammer. It stuck, glowing with the purple light as the energy faded from the room. His action of rebellion done, Ronan turned to Thanos, "You call me 'boy!' I will unfurl one thousand years of Kree justice on the galaxy! Then, Thanos, I'm coming for you."

The call cut out. All was still on the ship until Nebula stepped forwards, her head cocked to the side like a curious puppy, "You're going to kill my father?" She asked slowly, her voice raspy.

"You dare to oppose me?"

"You see what he has turned me into. You kill him, I will help you destroy a thousand planets."

Still off to the side, Galaxy rubbed at her arms once more. She looked nervously back where the screen had hung and frowned.

* * *

It was later when Galaxy brought her worries to Ronan. She had meant to before the call, but it had been too late and Ronan had to speak to Thanos _now._ In the end, though, the delay worked in her favor; it allowed her to write her concerns down in a bullet-pointed list and even read them to herself in the mirror. When she was walking to Ronan's room to speak with them, she was going over it in her head, wanting to make sure her everything she said was clear.

She paused for a brief moment before she stepped in, allowing herself to breath and focus against the nerves. She stepped forwards and the door slid open. Ronan was sitting in his chair, his war hammer propped up against the wall, humming with the energy from the stone. Even just sitting there, it made Galaxy feel nauseous.

When she walked in, Ronan looked up and beckoned to the chair next to him, the chair that Galaxy sat down in. The war hammer was behind her, its energy as far away from her as possible despite the small size of the room. She watched as Ronan started to smile at her, only for his smile to turn to a frown as he took in her expression. He tilted his head, clearly preparing to ask a question but she held her hand up, stopping him.

"Why are you keeping it?" She asked once Ronan had relaxed into the chair, accepting her silent request to not speak.

Ronan's brow furrowed, "You always knew I was going to keep it," he pointed out.

Galaxy shook her head, "That was before I knew _what_ it was and what it _does,"_ she reminded him. Hearing a hint of her fear in her voice, she took a deep breath to calm herself as much as she could before she continued, "You weren't there when that thing was used. It took apart the entire room! It was horrible! Things were vaporized right where they stood," agitated from the memory, Galaxy got up and started to pace, "We have no use for that type of destruction – you, have no use for that type of destruction. I know the plan was to threaten Nova with it, but now," Galaxy turned to Ronan and shook her head, "This plan will only make us targets by everyone in the galaxy, and for a very good reason."

Ronan got up from his seat and walked over to the war hammer. He picked it up, his back to Galaxy, "The plan is the only thing saving my people from destruction," he said in a low voice, "Nova has more power than we do, more weapons," he turned to Galaxy, still idly holding the hammer, "Would you not do everything for your people?"

Galaxy crossed her arms and shifted defensively, "My people are on this ship, Ronan. Besides, getting rid of something _would_ be helping your people. Do you think the universe would take kindly to a Kree threatening Xandar with an Infinity Stone? They'll attack us _and_ the rest of the Kree."

"What would you have me do with it? Give it to Xandar like Gamora wants?"

"Destroy it! Throw it into a black hole! I am not trying to betray you like Gamora, Ronan. I am _not_ your enemy," Galaxy shot back, her arms crossing defensively as she heard the note for frustration in Ronan's voice.

Ronan set down the hammer gently, "I have forgotten myself," he turned to Galaxy and gave her a careful, measured look, "Forgive me, I did not mean to imply that you are trying to betray me. I know that you are loyal to me."

Galaxy nodded, "I know," she murmured. "Whatever that Infinity Stone is, it can do more than just physical damage," she shuddered, remembering the way the pink-skinned girl had been drawn to the stone, how they had _all_ been dawned to the stone, "It's like it _wants_ to be used to hurt."

Ronan sighed, "I can't just get rid of it – at least not before I use it as a way to keep Xandar in check," he paused, his brow furrowing, "When I do get rid of it, we'll be completely defenseless to Thanos."

Galaxy frowned, "What if we trade the stone?" She suggested, her gaze moving from Ronan to the stone, "In exchange for protection from Thanos they get to have the Infinity Stone. It would go a long way to keep war from Xandar and the Kree because it would show good faith."

Ronan hummed, his gaze turning to study the stone as well, "They would have to promise not to use it against the Kree..." he pointed out, his voice trailing off thoughtfully, "How will we be able to strike a bargain? If we hover over Xandar we will be vulnerable to attack, an attack that _must_ be held off."

"They'll be warned we're coming," Galaxy added, "My brother was against the idea of us having it, and with Gamora alongside him it is only a matter of time until they go to Xandar to warn them, but we _must_ be close enough to contact them and get the message through.

Ronan nodded slowly, "It's risky," he pointed out.

"I won't blame you if you don't want to risk it."

Ronan stepped forwards and placed both hands on her shoulders, making her tilt her head up to look at him, "I'll risk this for you," he vowed. When Galaxy gave him a questioning look, clearly about to ask 'why,' Ronan added, "Because I love you."

Her eyes widening, it only took a few moments for Galaxy to respond, but as a smile curled across her lips, she responded, "I love you too," and she sealed those four words with a kiss.

* * *

 **Awww! I'm a bit of a hopeless romance so I love relationships, especially when they hit milestones like saying 'I love you' and engagement and marriage. I know I said in an earlier chapter that Galaxy and Ronan had only been a thing for a few months, but I feel like they've know each other for so long that it makes sense for them to have a shorter period between dating and 'I love you.'**

 **As for the rest of the chapter, I added as much as I could, but there isn't really much that happens in this. I know nobody likes filler chapters, but this _has_ to be here so the rest of the story makes sense. Thankfully all the actions are in the next few chapters. **

**Speaking of next few chapters, I only have two left! Once I finish this book, there will be a pause until the next chapter because I pre-write all my books before posting. I do have a schedule on my profile of when my books will get published, but for reference Galaxy's saga will continue once I finish up Kayla's fourth book, _Away From The Doctor._ Once I'm done writing the next book for Galaxy's series, I'll post it. ****As for the third book, unfortunately it will likely be published late-2018/early-2019 once I published _The Rebirth._**

 **So to summarize: The second book will be published, hopefully, sometime this summer. The third book, which will be _Infinity War,_ will hopefully be published late-2018/early-2019. I hope that makes sense!**

 **And now...review time:**

 **importchic: Thank you! Drax might be one of my favorite characters.**

 **monkeybaby: Thanks!**

 **See ya'll next week!**


	10. Chapter 9

Galaxy stood next to Ronan, her arms crossed. "Are you sure this will work?" she asked.

"It will work," Ronan reassured.

The two were talking about the written out plan the two had created in the last few hours. But with the time ticking closer and closer to the start of it, Galaxy had started to doubt it. She knew it was just last minute nerves, proved by her firm support of the plan just an hour ago, but even with that knowledge she still turned to Nebula and asked her, "Anything we should change?"

Nebula stepped forwards and tilted her head to stare down at the written out plan. She frowned and tapped one of the sub-points, "I don't like this one."

Galaxy turned the sheet, reading the part Nebula had disliked and frowned, "You don't like that we don't destroy Peter and his group when we're done?"

"That includes Gamora. We should not let people who have betrayed us not get punished."

Galaxy bit her lip and glanced over at Ronan. This was a point she had pushed for. Ronan didn't wantto _kill_ Gamora and the group she had joined, but he also wanted to enact some sort of toll for her betrayal. When Galaxy had pointed out that her brother was part of Gamora's group, Ronan had suggested kidnapping, a suggestion Galaxy had firmly turned down, citing her own experience with Yondu.

She watched Ronan carefully, knowing he was considering what Nebula said. Even if he didn't have the half-frown on his face, Galaxy could tell by the way he had eyed the plan. She was surprised, elated even, when Ronan shook his head, "We will need all the help we can get when Thanos turns against us," he pointed out.

Nebula nodded slowly, though Galaxy could feel her eyes flick over to her. But she did not push her point and instead turned to one of the assistants, "ETA?" She snapped.

"Twenty minutes," the assistant answered promptly after smoothing their clothes out thanks to the upset they had had when the assistant had jumped.

Nodding once more, Nebula addressed Ronan sharply, "I will make sure the shielding is intact," when Ronan inclined his head in dismissal, Nebula turned on her heel and stalked from the room.

Galaxy looked down at the plan, her eyes traveling it but she took nothing in. She glanced down at her hands and winced when she saw they were shaking, "Peter will be furious," she said in a soft voice. "I doubt he want to stay in contact."

Ronan took one of her hands and gave it a squeeze, "It's not too late to back out."

"You know that isn't true," Galaxy shook her head at the suggestion, "Thanos will hunt us with or without that stone. At least this way we can possibly receive protection from Nova."

Ronan squeezed her hand once more, "You need to contact him," he reminded, as if Galaxy needed it.

Removing her hand from his, Galaxy picked up a communicator and pressed the call button. She could hear the buzzing as it connected to Peter's and then waited for him to approve, or deny, the call. Just as she was about to hang up, there was a click and then, _"Who is this?"_

Galaxy swallowed hard and, using the precious seconds she could, tried to compose herself while giving a thumbs up to Ronan. If he noticed her hand shaking, he did not comment on it, "Peter, it's me," she said in a far calmer voice than she had expected. When there was a long pause from Peter's end, she rushed to say, "Don't hang up!"

" _I'm not planning on it,"_ Peter replied, his voice flat.

Glancing over at Ronan, Galaxy started her prepared speech, "We both know that Ronan and I have the Infinity Stone. We're not giving it over to Thanos, but we need a reason to give it over to Nova."

" _Is Yondu's Ravager fleet, the Nova fleet, and us not enough of a reason?"_

"'Us?'"

" _Rocket, Drax, Gamora, Groot, and myself,"_ Peter elaborated. His breath hitched and he added in a much softer, kinder voice, _"You can still join us."_

"I don't think Drax would like that," Galaxy pointed out, her voice shaking enough to make Ronan catch her gaze. When she gave him a small smile, he relaxed. But he still reached out and took her hand to squeeze it in a show of comfort.

" _I can make Drax like it. You're my sister and I want you safe, which means not on the side of a genocidal maniac."_

"Peter, I'm an adult," Galaxy said slowly, "I can, and will, make my own choices."

" _So can I,"_ Peter pointed out, just a hint of a challenge in his voice to match the challenge in his sister's, _"If you and Ronan hand over the stone then Xandar will let you go free."_

"We need more than that. We need protection from Thanos."

She could hear a noise on Peter's end that sounded suspiciously like Gamora hissing something. Peter's voice came in a soft reply, too soft for Galaxy to make out. After a long time, during which Galaxy presumed Gamora was replying to Peter, Peter let out a heavy sigh, _"Xandar refuses the deal. They're willing to take the stone by force if necessary."_

"Will you help them?"

" _Will you give the stone up on Xandar's terms?"_

"No."

" _I have no choice, Galaxy. I don't trust Ronan with the stone which means I don't trust you with it,"_ He paused and then added in a grudging tone, _"Good luck."_

The connection fizzled out. Galaxy dropped the communicator into her hand and stared at it for a long moment. She placed it back onto the table and looked at Ronan. She didn't even have to do anything for Ronan to know. He stepped forwards and hugged her tightly, holding her for a few precious moments, "I'll inform Nebula that we are doing Plan B," he told as he stepped away, but he didn't leave her alone, "You didn't fail," he added, making sure he was looking at him, "We knew it would be a long shot."

Galaxy nodded slowly and, somehow, managed to give Ronan a small smile, "I know," looking like he desperately wanted to say something else, Ronan stared at her for a long moment before he nodded to himself and headed off, leaving Galaxy to watch him go.

* * *

Plan B started similarly to Plan A, with a call from Galaxy. Only this time, she hadn't been chosen because she had a close connection to someone, but because her connection to the person they were calling was slightly more positive than Nebula's or Ronan's.

"Nova Corps, this is Galaxy on the Dark Aster," Galaxy said for her greeting as soon as the communicator's call was accepted, "I have a deal for the Infinity Stone."

" _Would you mind holding?"_

Galaxy blinked at the question, "I guess," she said slowly with a shrug. Immediately, a click sounded followed by pleasant sounding music. When Ronan looked over at her, she mouthed that she was 'on hold,' making Ronan frown.

After a couple minutes, the communicator clicked once again, _"Please still be there,"_ the same voice from before whispered.

"I am," Galaxy informed him, just a hint of a bite in her voice. Their plan did not have much time for them to be sitting, waiting for some person to run all over Xandar. She heard quite a few voices at once, all raised in volume. There was a loud rustle that made her move the communicator away, wincing.

Finally, a crisp female voice spoke into the communicator, _"This is Nova Prime."_

Galaxy breathed a sigh of relief, closing her eyes briefly to thank whatever she could think of. Giving Ronan a smile, she replied back to Nova Prime with, "Nova Prime, this is Galaxy on the Dark Aster. I have a deal for the Infinity Stone."

" _Why should we trust a deal from Ronan?"_ Nova Prime asked, _"He has threatened our very way of life for years!"_

"Because this deal gives you far more than it will give us."

" _What is your deal?"_

"We will give you the stone in exchange for protection from Thanos."

There was a snort, though it held no amusement, from Nova Prime, _"Do you think we are stupid? It is well known that Ronan is working for Thanos. Why would you ever need protection from him?"_

Galaxy sighed heavily and looked over at Ronan. He gave her another smile, but it fell at the worried look on her face. He got up and walked over, taking her hand and giving it a squeeze. That was enough to give her strength to respond to Nova Prime's scoff.

"Ronan and I have betrayed Thanos. He wanted the Infinity Stone and to give it to him would destroy the rest of the universe," Galaxy took a deep breath as she mulled over her next words carefully, "Ronan and I…we don't want to live hunted for the rest of our lives. We just want peace."

Nova Prime sighed on the other end, _"That's all well and good, but how can we trust you two? Ronan has been killing our people!"_

"That is true," Galaxy gave, "But you've must have noticed he's stopped in the past few months? Just the other day we released a man who had broken into our ship with the aim to kill us."

There was a pause on the other end, and Galaxy knew she was checking the records, looking to see if there even was such a man, _"How do we know this isn't a trick? We know what the Infinity Stone will do if it touches Xandar's soil."_

"I am willing to come down by myself. The stone will be a protective case and will not react. I will give it to you, and only you. If it makes you more comfortable I am willing to be lowered into Peter Quill's ship so that the Dark Aster never touches the ground."

There was a very, very lengthy pause. Long enough for Ronan to whisper if they had replied, only for Galaxy to shake her head in a clear 'no.' As the pause continued, Galaxy considered asking if they were still there, but just when she was opening her mouth to ask, Nova Prime responded, _"Quill's ship will be under the Dark Aster in three minutes."_

"Does that mean you accept?" Galaxy asked, her voice quick as she heard a note of finality in it.

" _It means we are willing to negotiate."_

Before Galaxy could protest, the call ended. Swallowing hard, she turned to Ronan, "Peter will be here momentarily," she started, "I am to get on his ship and go down to speak with Nova Prime with the Infinity Stone.

Ronan frowned, "That does not sound like an acceptance."

"It was not one," Galaxy agreed, "But," she added quickly with a raise of her hand to stop Ronan from protesting, "it will likely be the best we can get."

Ronan nodded slowly, though the frown on his face was clearly one of distaste, "What if they trap you?"

"I trust Peter. He wouldn't betray me," Galaxy picked up the case holding the Infinity Stone, an involuntary shiver going through her as she felt the box vibrate. Shifting it to one hand, she used the other to wrap around Ronan's neck and pull him close, "I promise I'll be okay. And if not then you have my full permission to break me out of custody," hearing him chuckling, Galaxy leaned in and gave Ronan a soft kiss, "I will be back," she promised.

And then she stepped away, walking towards the pod that would allow her to join Peter's ship just as her brother pulled up and connected to it, likely instructed by Gamora.

Taking a deep breath, she gave Ronan one last smile and then she stepped into the pod and through it to Peter's ship. The door slid solidly behind her. She looked around the ship, just making out Rocket's tail from around the corner, clearly piloting the ship with Groot next to him, his head ducked to be able to stand in the small space.

Her eyes moved to the other side of the ship where Drax was sitting in the corner, his arms crossed as he gave her a glare with just a hint of a snarl on his lips. Her eyes moved past him and to Gamora, who just frowned and her. Finally, her eyes landed on her brother, "Do you have it?" he asked, not even bothering to give her a smile.

Stiffening, Galaxy moved almost robotically to hold up the box with the Infinity Stone in it, trying very, very hard to not show how much Peter's reaction to her hurt. She knew he could hold a grudge, but that had always been to others, never to her.

It hurt even more when Peter just nodded just as stiffly she felt and turned to the pilot's chair. Galaxy looked after him, unsure whether she should follow him or stay by the door. She shifted her weight from one foot to the other and looked over at Gamora, seeing her just shake her head, "I would do anything to make things right with Nebula," she murmured with a small frown. She looked over at Galaxy with a pained expression, "Make things right," she said in an even softer voice.

Galaxy swallowed hard and, without Ronan to squeeze her hand, she squeezed her own. It did not bring anywhere near the same comfort for her. Nodding to herself, she walked down and stood behind Peter's chair. She could tell he knew she was there, he had stiffened and had shifted in his seat, "There are chairs back there," Peter said without looking at her.

"I know," Galaxy replied, "I just felt more comfortable watching. I still get motion sickness."

Peter tried, and failed, to stifle a snort, "Well if you're going to throw up then we have a bathroom."

"Better than the parking lot of a hospital."

The reminder not lost him, Peter shook his head. When their mother had been moved into the hospital permanently, their uncle had taken them in and would drive them everywhere, including the hospital. Galaxy had had the bright idea, one afternoon, to do her homework in the car, only to get horribly sick and had pulled open the door and puked out of it.

"It's not like you have any homework here," Peter said lightly without thinking about it before he remembered that he was supposed to be angry with his sister. But it was very hard not to see the smile on Galaxy's face and return it. So he looked down, focusing on the screen far more than he actually needed to.

"When did you learn how to pilot?" Galaxy wondered, watching her brother as he flew the ship with a clear level of high skill.

"Yondu taught me for my fifteenth birthday."

Galaxy slowly sat down behind him, a small frown on his face. She looked down at the box in her hands feeling it thrum with power that made her near nauseous, "I hate this thing," she muttered bitterly.

Peter looked down at the box and shrugged, "You could have just left it with us," he pointed out snidely.

"Thanos would have hunted us down as soon as he found out," Galaxy countered with a shake of her head. "With this Ronan and I won't be hunted. Even Thanos would face failure by the Nova Corps, especially without this stone."

"Do you know what his plan is?"

Galaxy shrugged, "Destroying the galaxy? He never told Ronan what it was, only that he would aid him in getting ride of Xandar if we gave him the stone."

Looking like he wanted to argue, Peter chose instead to say, "You should probably find a better seat. We're going to be landing soon."

Rising slowly to her feet, Galaxy gave Peter a small smile. "Hopefully this will be over soon."

She turned and walked to a chair next to Gamora and gave her a grateful smile. At least if everything went horribly wrong with Nova Prime, she had been friendly with her brother one last time. And, on the off chance everything went perfectly, then she had hopefully created a small bridge for their once strong relationship to be repaired.

* * *

 **Sorry this is a bit later than usual. I slacked off on pre-editing this week so this was in one giant session. If there are any extra mistakes, I apologize.**

 **As for the rest of the chapter, I hope the plan they're doing makes sense. I needed to get the Infinity Stone to Xandar, so the only way I could think of it while having a friendly-ish relationship between Peter and Galaxy is by giving the stone to Xandar as a trade for protection from Thanos.**

 **Next chapter is going to be the final chapters, so just to go over the plan again, I will not start working on the second book for this series until I finish writing Kayla. I'll post a chapter in this book when I get the second book posted so you guys will be aware. Like this book, the second book will be posted every Friday.**

 **And now...review time:**

 **monkeybaby: Thanks!**

 **importchic: I'm glad you're excited for future books!**

 **See ya'll next week.**


	11. Chapter 10

Galaxy walked through the hall of Xandar's main building, her heart beating very, very fast to the point it was at an almost, if not actually, an unhealthy agree. Nova Prime's personal guard was all around her, and Peter and his group were behind them with a much smaller group of guards around them. All the guards, however, had their eyes not on Peter and his group, but on _Galaxy._ After all, she had the bargaining chip in her hands; the only thing that would keep her, and the man she loved, from an extremely painful death: The Infinity Stone.

The more she held this object, packed away in the protective case as it was, the more she was certain it could feel her emotions. It had sped up its vibration and the box had warmed to a slightly uncomfortable degree, enough to make her want to let go of the box to rub at her hands. If Galaxy didn't know any better, she could imagine that it _wanted_ to be used to destroy people.

The mere thought made her grip the case even tighter, despite the onset of pain she felt thanks to the heat.

Two of the guards ahead pushed open the double doors they were fast approaching, allowing Galaxy to get her first glimpse of Nova Prime's war council. The tables had orange and blue screen hovering above them, displaying the Dark Aster and a picture of Ronan with his war hammer and a picture of herself next to Ronan as well as images of Nebula, Gamora, and the other children of Thanos. She was sure if she looked hard enough, she would find pictures of Thanos as well, but she instead focused on Nova Prime, an elderly woman. Just as she entered, Nova Prime looked up from her circle of advisers. Her eyes immediately zoned in on the box Galaxy held, "Is that it?" She breathed.

Galaxy nodded, but didn't hold it out, "You said you wanted to negotiate," she reminded the woman.

Nova Prime took a step forwards, her eyes still on the box, "Would it be safe to open? I do not want to be tricked."

Galaxy frowned in hesitation, there was something about the entire room that made her want to shield the box and run with it, despite how much she wanted it far away from her. It was an odd enough impulse that she almost denied the request, but then she focused back on what was placed on her shoulders, her huge responsibility, which was enough to open the box and show Nova Prime the extra layer of protection, a protective shell, around the stone. With a bit of hesitation, glancing around the room before she did so, Galaxy placed the box down and took out the protective shell to twist it open slowly, allowing Nova Prime to see just enough of the stone that she was confident it was inside before she quickly snapped the shell closed. Behind her, she heard Peter and Gamora sighing in a relief she was sure it was not just her that shared it.

"I am surprised you are willing to part with it," Nova Prime pointed out as Galaxy put the sphere back into the case that was still on the table and closed the lid, "I would have expected Ronan to want to use any means necessary to destroy Xandar."

"It is far less trouble for us to have," Galaxy explained with a shrug, "We also do not have the means to protect it from Thanos, but Xandar does."

Nova Prime nodded and then broke into a smile, "I have spoken to my advisers before you came. We are willing to except your deal, so long as Ronan, you, or any other associates do not touch another Xandarian."

Galaxy blinked and her mouth fell open just a bit, "Really?" She asked, her voice squeaking up to a higher octave as she stared at the older woman.

Nova Prime just gave her a gentle pat on the shoulder, "Thanos is a threat to the entire universe if he intends to collect the infinity stones. I will not see that happen," There was pause and then a glint of something similar to amusement appear in Nova Prime's eyes, "I believe there is an Earth saying you would be familiar with: 'The enemy of thy enemy is thy friend.'"

Galaxy frowned slightly, her arms crossing defensively as she eyed Nova Prime with sudden wariness, "How did you know I was from Earth?"

Nova Prime just pointed to a screen Galaxy hadn't noticed. Following the finger, Galaxy took in one of the many screens, which displayed two humanoid models - one male and one female. Still confused, she turned back to Nova Prime, waiting for the woman to answer, "We have your DNA results from when you were imprisoned. Your mother was Terran but your father," Nova Prime shook her head, lost for words to describe Galaxy's and Peter's father, though Galaxy couldn't tell if there was a _way_ to describe her father at _all_ by the expression and the helpless shrug Nova Prime gave her.

She turned to Peter who looked just as stunned as she felt, and likely did, "You mean we're not Terran?" He asked, his voice halting.

"You are half Terran," Nova Prime agreed, "Your father, well, he's something very ancient we've never seen here before."

Galaxy rubbed at her still-crossed arms, starting to feel very, very uncomfortable with the entire situation. Her mother had claimed that their father was a man from space, a claim that had been a sign of her cancer…hadn't it? When she looked over at Peter's face, it was clear he was having the same troubling thoughts.

"We can run more tests and see if we can come up with something," Nova Prime offered as she took in the twin's faces confused and horrified expressions, "Perhaps there's a creature we've forgotten that's in our database."

Galaxy just bit her lip, "May I think about it?" She requested. When Nova Prime nodded, she relaxed. As odd as it was, she didn't know if she actually wanted to know who her father was. All she could think about was her mother and how her claims that her father was from space might have had some truth in it. But if that was correct, then what did that mean for the rest of her illness? The thought made her want to get some air, to leave the room fully, "If that's all," she started slowly, "I would very much like to return to Ronan. He'll be getting worried soon."

Nova Prime's eyes widened, not at the thought of Ronan worrying for someone else, but at what Ronan would _do_ with that concern. The last thing they needed was a _concerned_ Ronan coming down to Xandar in the Dark Aster, "I will have some guards escort you out, she turned away to order two of the guards, murmuring their instructions, "Oh, and box that thing up!" Nova Prime added to one man, "Put it somewhere safe."

"I know exactly where," the man responded. Something in his voice made Galaxy turn back around. No one else was watching the man as he leaned forwards, grabbed the protective shell, and started to open. Just as Galaxy made a half-choked scream, the man's fist tightened around the now released infinity stone with a yell of, "THANOS!"

The room exploded in a bright purple light, sending the occupants flying and landing with a hard, hard crash. The heat was unbearable to the extreme and Galaxy could feel the burns setting and becoming too much…it was a like when she had placed her hand near the open oven while her mother had been baking cookies, curious about the heat of the oven. She had been so shocked by how strong it was she had fallen forwards and her hand had caught herself on the inside of the door. In both cases, she screamed, or at least tried to, but the heat seemed to steal her voice away. And as the heat grew worse and worse, the memory and the reality - child Galaxy and adult Galaxy - seemed to join into one, pained entity that just tried to scream through the heat.

It stopped suddenly, a jerking motion that was somehow worse than if it had tampered off. For a single moment, everything in Galaxy's world was the heat, but now it was _gone._ All she could truly do was gasp for breath, trying to relearn an existence without heat. She squinted, the clear light from Xandar's sun too painfully bright compared to the dark light of the Infinity Stone just moments before. The others, she could barely make out, where on the ground near her, breathing just as hard as she was. When she looked for the guards, trying to see the darker-clothed vague shapes, she was met with the sight of dark burns in the floor of the building; they had been vaporized where they had stood thanks to their proximity to the sudden blast. Nova Prime had been spared. The older woman was lying under an upside-down table, her eyes closed and her chest rising and falling.

It was only then that Galaxy noticed the stain right next to the dropped Infinity Stone. Without a human to fuel it, the stone was no longer as bright and, if Galaxy hadn't known better, it could have been argued that it was a normal stone. What gave it away was the purple light shining from it; a purple light that was starting to make the ground fracture around it slowly, splitting Xandar open. If it was left to sit there, it would be a matter of minutes, an hour at an improbable most, for the planet to break apart and implode completely.

Despite her muscles screaming in protest along with her mind, Galaxy started to crawl forwards. Already the planet was showing the damage from the stone; the ground shifted and started to creak loudly as if it was an old ship sinking. But that sound, as terrifying as it was, sunk into the background as she felt the thrum of the stone calling her. She reached out, not pausing to think of the consequences, and grabbed onto the stone. The effect of this action was twofold: The ground stopped breaking apart, but Galaxy was in horrible pain once again. Her hand twitched and tightened around the stone even as she gasped out loud from the pain.

There was a sudden presence behind her, a familiar one. She didn't turn around to look at her brother even as Peter yelled, "What are you doing?!"

His hand joined her, clamping down around it, "Let go!" He ordered, a wild look in his eyes as he too felt the pain from the stone.

"I won't let you do this yourself!" Galaxy shouted back.

She could feel the others approaching, "Hold hands!" Gamora cried out as she grabbed onto the stone as well. Her body started to convulse almost instantly, but when Galaxy's hand shot out and joined with her free hand, it acted almost like a grounder and the convulsions stopped.

Drax joined the mix as well as Rocket and Groot, though Rocket started to yell at the tree-creature that he would explode. Instead, Groot grabbed with his other hand onto the protective shell and brought it close even as his body started to snap apart, "Groot!" Rocket cried out, tears starting to run from his eyes and down his snout. Groot gave Rocket one final look, and then he pressed the shell around the stone just as he exploded into a shower of…flowers?

But Galaxy didn't have enough time to think further on this. She was wheezing, curling into a ball even though the rougher ground hurt her burns. She could feel her eyes sliding close from exhaustion and she could hear a very familiar voice yell, "Galaxy! Galaxy please be okay!" Her eyes cracked open briefly, just in time to see a purple figure approaching, and then all went dark.

* * *

Later, Galaxy would hear the rest of the story from Ronan. How he had come down in a shuttle, had seen the wreckage of the building, had seen the purple cracks forming in the ground, and how he had sprinted into the building just in time to see Galaxy pass out in the horrible state that she was. He had moved the box away and had gotten the medics, as scared as they were of him, into the room to aid Nova Prime and the rest of the survivors.

Nova Prime had recovered and had promised that they would _still_ be protected because they had held up their side of the deal. Despite the explosion, the Infinity Stone had been successfully moved to Xandar's archives and was under heavy lock and protection by guards that had all been screened before hand. There was no possibility, Nova Prime assured, that an agent of Thanos would get access to the stone _ever_ again.

The rest of the council, horrified by the attack, had started to blame Ronan and Galaxy. They argued to Nova Prime that the two _must_ have planned it with Thanos, but Nova Prime had remained steadfast in her convention that Ronan and Galaxy had nothing to do with it. She had woken up in time to see the sacrifice made by Galaxy when she alone reached for the stone, not knowing her brother was starting to move behind her. That had made Nova Prime completely sure that the attack hadn't been planned and she promised that she would make sure the council would see reason. No matter what, Nova Prime had said, Xandar would protect Ronan and Galaxy from Thanos.

After the attack, the groups had all gone their separate ways. Xandar still stood, their people slowly starting to rebuild their government office and other buildings effected, Galaxy went with Ronan, and Peter's group went off in Peter's ship. Galaxy had watched them fly away, a soft smile on her face as she her brother waved at her before they left.

Oh, they still remained in contact. The two siblings slowly started to learn their new differences that years apart and the natural changes of growing up at created in them. Just last week the twins had sat down in Peter's ship as he handed her the gift wrapped present from her mother, the twin to hers in his lap. He had hidden them successfully from Yondu for years, keeping the two in small places only he, as a skinny child, could reach into.

Despite all that had changed, Galaxy and Peter were still the same twins, and those boxes, whatever they held, were still the same as well. All the significance they held, the last gift from their mother, was gift wrapped in a box that sat innocently in their laps. Without speaking, both started to open the present, being as careful as possible to not tear the wrapping. There was silence, except for paper crumbling, for a long moment until Galaxy let out a little, "Mom!" Peter looked over at her to see her reading a note, similar to the one he had in his own present.

' _Ariel, I know these last few months have been hard on you and your brother. But I'm going to a better place and I will be okay. And I will always be with you. You are the pearl of my life. My precious daughter. My little angel. Love, mom.'_

Galaxy swallowed hard and looked over at Peter, only for him to do the same action. She looked down at the rest of the present and felt her throat tighten with unshed tears as she saw a Walkman with two cassette tapes, _'Awesome Mix 1'_ and _'Awesome Mix 2._ ' When Galaxy looked over at Peter, she could see that he too had gotten the second mix tape.

The presents were fair. Galaxy now had a Walkman and _'Awesome Mix 1'_ like her brother and they had both been gifted _'Awesome Mix 2.'_ Her mother had always been big on fairness between the twins, making sure that if Galaxy got a new dress, Peter got a new piece of clothing. For every gift Galaxy got for her birthday, Peter got the same. At times it was frustrating, if Galaxy was awarded something, like a piece of candy or five dollars, Peter would be given the same only a few minutes later. Perhaps if Galaxy had been older, she would have complained. She had _earned_ that candy or money while Peter hadn't, but her mother died before any true rebellion could be given, and by the time Galaxy reached the ages when she would have rebelled she was already on the Dark Aster. She had never had the chance to complain about anything to her mother...never gotten the chance to fully argue the way teenagers were supposed to. All that had been stolen away when her mother died.

She looked up when she felt Peter shift, watching as he silently got up and placed the cassette tape of _'Awesome Mix 2'_ into the player he had installed in the ship. After a pause, the player started to play the familiar tune of _'Ain't No Mountain High Enough,'_ and the fight Galaxy was waging with her tears failed as they rolled down her cheek. Tears that were twin to the ones on Peter's face.

That had been a touching moment, a moment Galaxy would not forget, even though it had taken place several weeks ago. She had Peter had talked, had communicated through messages to each other, but they came sparingly. Peter was busy with missions and adventure and Galaxy was on the Dark Aster, content with a peaceful existence with Ronan. She was sure that would change and she would soon join Nebula on occasional missions to collect data on Thanos, but until then she was fine with just spending time with Ronan - like they were now. The two were sitting on a row of steps near a window,her head on his shoulders and their hands connected. Ronan had surprised her by rigging up a sound system. It had come into constant use, the songs Galaxy had been raised on wafting through the ship.

As _'Fooled Around and Fell in Love'_ played, Galaxy breathed in deeply. This, this was pure serenity, and Galaxy would not have it any other way.

 **To be continued in: Protectors of the Rest!**

* * *

 **I have had so much fun with writing Galaxy! It's been an amazing time and I am so sad to see it over. Not to worry though, I have a lot of plans for Galaxy's series.**

 **As I mentioned in previous chapters, Galaxy will come back soonish. Once I finish writing Kayla's series, I will immediately start working on Galaxy and will post her chapters as soon as I am done writing her book. If anyone is following the list on profile or on my tumblr, ultramasterdoctor, then you'll see that the schedule has changed a bit. We'll get Galaxy much sooner, but _The Rebirth_ will not be published until next year. **

**And now...the last review time:**

 **monkeybaby: Thank you!**

 **Thank you so much to everyone who has reviewed, followed, favorites, or read this fanfiction! I'll post a notification chapter in this book once _Protectors of the Rest_ is published. Like this book, it will be updated every Fridays. **


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